Karen Horney's Theory of Development Based on the film "Precious"

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This essay will discuss the different concepts involved in Karen Horney’s Personality Development theory that relates to the personality development of the main character “Precious” in the movie “Precious: Base on Nol by Saf (Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire)” (Daniels et al., 2009). Horney’s Personality Development theory highlights certain aspects which indicate that the type of relationship between the child and its care giver in its early stages of life can change the child’s life and personality indefinitely. One will not only see how social and cultural conditions affect ones personality but also their neurotic needs and coping strategies and as well as their idealised self and despised self. Thus in this essay, Precious’ personality will be studied and discussed, by referring to Horney’s Theory in order to illustrate how certain life changing events in her life determined how her personality progressed. However the order throughout this essay is one that will use examples of events from the movie to illustrate to Horney’s theory, and not the order of the film.
It is important to know that Horney’s theory focuses on the idea of neurosis. This involves the notion that when someone is affected by fear or deprived from basic psychological and physical needs in their early stages of life, it causes conflict with one’s defences in building their real self (Langenderfer, 1999). It is important to understand this concept, as Precious’ neurosis changes throughout the movie. Thus through Horney’s theory one can understand that Precious suffers from Basic Anxiety (Fadiman & Frage, 1994). She develops a Basic hostility/ Basic Evil towards her parents, which are the repressed feelings that Precious has of hostility, which cannot b...

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...5th ed.). MCGraw Hill Companies. Retrieved from http://www.abebooks.com/Theories-Personality-5TH-Edition-Feist-Jess/5273723922/bd Langenderfer, G. (1999). Karen Horney. MuskingumCollege: Department of Psychology. http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/horney.htm#Theory Karen Horney and Humanistic Psychoanalysis in Fadiman, J. & Frage, R. (1994). Personality and Personal Growth. New York: Harper Collins. (pp.130-150).
Psychoanalytic Social Theory – Karen Horney (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ivcc.edu/uploadedFiles/_faculty/_mangold/Horney%20and%20Psychoanalytic%20Social%20Theory.pdf
Schultz D. & Schultz S. (2008). Karen Horney: Neurotic Needs and Trends. In D. Schultz &
S Schultz (Eds.) Theories of Personality (pp. 158 – 180). Downloaded from
http://cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/schultz_ch04.pdf

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