This paper assignment has instructions to use “Good Will Hunting” as a basis for me to learn more about a person’s psychological behavior characteristics. As I further researched, I have found this to be a very interesting task. I will explain a little about the characters and how it pertains to my specific subject. I will compare and contrast two important theorists named Freud and Erikson. I will explain how this film relates to the specific and detailed events portrayed within the film itself. I will give due credit to two remarkable theorists still to the day.
First, sometimes people don’t realize they can do much more with their lives and need an extra little bit of guiding to help them. In the movie Good Will Hunting, Will believes that the way his life is will be all he needs that he doesn’t really need anything more, but doesn’t realize how smart he is. Math is his gift, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life. This movie shows a more in depth look at an individual with this personality character. Eventually, an instructor notices and tries to help him out.
Will shows strongly in the movie he has an attachment problem, and in Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage Trust VS. Mistrust it states that this is when a person learns whether or not they can trust the world or not (Engler, 2014). With Will having trouble becoming attached or close to someone he may have not received the care he needed at that time period in his life. He started liking a girl in the movie, but wouldn’t talk about his past very much if at all with her nor would he tell her he loved her. You could tell he did but was scared to admit it because of having these trust issues. I believe he behaves this way because he was an orphan a...
... middle of paper ...
...y he did. I now thoroughly understand detailed analysis of specific behaviors exhibited by the character. I can further now understand both theorist’s thoughts and beliefs. This particular film has helped me to have a better understanding of how to properly recognize each stage an individual goes through in a life time, how conflictions can arise, and how to use external influences to benefit an individual to have a more quality life by focusing on their positives to enhance their weaknesses. Through these two influential theorist’s works, and lives we can all see many differences and similarities between these beliefs. It is easy to see that these two psychologists have created a stepping stone for all psychologists and people to study and look back on as we develop in our own lives today. These founding theorists will always play a major role in Psychology.
Some people dream of wealth, happiness, or genius, but is any of that easily attainable? An intellectual young man from the movie Good Will Hunting has an unusually high IQ that is shrouded by emotional problems. Will Hunting is arrested after yet another case of physical assault in Boston, and this time it was a police officer. When he is arrested, his genius is discovered by a college professor, Gerald Lambeau, who sees potential in Will despite his flaws. Instead of jail time, Labeau offers him a fair bargain. As long as Will attends mandatory therapy, he will be allowed to work alongside the professor. But education isn’t everything, because under Wills sarcastic wit and mathematical genius, he hides his true self. Will scares off five different therapists before he finds himself stuck with Sean Maguire, who ends up using personal and profound forms of therapy to crack Wills shell. Sean delivers this speech to help Will realize his ignorance of his insecurities and other people by using ethos, logos, and pathos appeals; Sean addresses that true knowledge and perspective can only
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
In the novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury, Will is described, characterized by his behavior, and be his shift in attitude. This is shown through "bright, clear as drop of summer rain" (Bradbury, 6). Bradbury describes him this way to show that he has a positive and uncomplicated view on life. He does this by explaining that Will was the first one to answer lightening rod salesman right away instead of waiting and examining whether or not Will and Jim should talk to him. His behavior is characterized through "Will? Know what you are? A darn old dimwit Episcopal Baptist!" (29). This characterizes his behavior as always being the one who follows Jim and acts like Jim's conscience to keep him out of trouble. Bradbury does
The sociological perspective examines the hidden reasons for one’s actions and identities that people have. It stressed how they are influenced by their society and most of all their social location. Social location predetermines all aspects of one’s life and there are rules that come with social location, and with rules come social control mechanisms and social stratification that keep people in line. With social location also come institutions that provide roles which form one’s identity. In the movie, “Good Will Hunting,” the main character Will Hunting is a young deviant what grows up in a rough neighbourhood and has the intellect of a genius. Role theory and other concepts from the sociological perspective explain Will Hunting’s actions and identity.
Will is a genius of unprecedented standards, but is never discovered until a MIT professor, Gerald Lambeau (Stellen Skarsgard) sees Hunting, who is a janitor, solve a complicated math equation that had taken him, a Fields Medal winner, over two years to solve. Hunting solved it on a single night.
Sigmund Freud is known for creating the concept of psychoanalysis, also known as psychoanalytic theory, which requires one to explore the unconscious mind. Over time, his theories have been revised as well as criticized in a variety of ways. Be that as it may, they have remained strong influences within the world of psychiatry, as well as in the worlds of film and literature. Many works generally exhibit Freudian influences, balancing the conscious life with the subconscious and dreamlike undertones. Key ideas of Freudian Psychoanalysis are the three psychic zones of id, ego and super-ego, the libido, and the Oedipus complex.
The film “Good Will Hunting” follows the story of Will Hunting (Matt Damon) a self-taught genius who works at one of the most prestigious technology schools; MIT, as a janitor. Will is an orphan with a criminal record of Assault, grand theft auto, assaulting a police officer, etc. Will solves a complex math problem, which leads to him being discovered by professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) as a genius. Professor Lambeau makes a deal with the judge when Will is incarcerated to be on parole under Lambeau’s supervision and Will is ordered to see a therapist once a week. Will Outsmarts many of the therapists, which forces Lambeau to go to his last resort, college friend and psychology teacher Sean Macguire (Robin Williams).
The character this film is primarily centered around is Will Hunting. Will lives in a tattered house in a bad neighborhood in the city of Boston. He grew up in foster care where he sustained continual physical abuse as a child. Will has a few close friends he is always with but never opens up about anything below surface level. Will is incredibly gifted with intelligence however he works as a custodian at the highly prestigious school, MIT. Professor Lambeau teaches advanced mathematics at MIT and is the one who discovers Will’s incredible talent for solving advanced mathematical theory. Professor Lambeau has high hopes for Will and pushes him into getting jobs with prestigious employers so that his gift is not wasted working as a custodian. Chuckie Sullivan is one of the closest of Will’s friends. They’ve known each other for years and Chuckie drives Will to work every day. Chuckie cares for Will and realizes the gift that he has and tries to convince Will he should be doing something of greater importance with his life. Skylar is a college stu...
Will is an insecure man who has a dream of being a successful salesman. Throughout the whole film Willy’s main concern is making sure he is well liked. For example when Willy is talking to his wife about a business opportunity he says “ Oh, I’ll knock ‘em dead next week. I’ll go to Hartford. I’m very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to talk to me.” In this scene Willy is saying that he is very well liked but then when questioned about the people in Hartford Willie admits that they just pass by him like he is not there. This scene proves Willy’s delusion to himself by the way he says people like him but admits they don’t talk to him. He is too caught up in the idea of being successful to realize that he isn’t that successful. Willy’s intentions are right but his delusion personality takes control over his actions. He sets his intentions so high that he’s setting himself up to fail. He isn’t an ideal role model for his children seeing as he gave up his passion of carpentr...
The first theory Psychodynamic theory presented by Sigmund Freud, is based on how a person’s self-awareness and understanding of the past on present behavior. Psychody...
Good Will Hunting is the graceful tale of a young gentleman’s struggle to find out where he belongs in the world, by first finding out who he himself is. In this film, Matt Damon takes on the role of a disturbed genius that has a keen understanding of the deepness of human character. The film is a voyage through the mind of Will Hunting as he is required to undergo psychotherapy as an alternative to serving jail time. With the assistance of a psychologist, played by Robin Williams, Will learns about himself and recognizes his individual worth in the world by comprehending what is most important to him in his own life. This motion picture serves as a source of superb example for film technique. Gus Van Sant’s directing ability joined with the writing skills of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who also plays Will’s best buddy, Chuckie, is a vibrant mixture of technical features used to induce sentiment and compassion amongst the viewers of this heart-warming film. Characteristics of the color, angles, shots, camera movement, editing, and distortions are all each particularly noteworthy to the general composition of Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting.
...e to work through issues in order to abet the repair of Mr. Z's narcissistic self. The employment of "the psychology of the self" in the second analysis led to a focus upon the importance of the self and to relations with others in the environment (Luti, personal communication). All in all, this allowed Mr. Z to discover the reason for his disturbance and learn to lead a happy and healthy life.
Will Hunting epitomises a punk prodigy. The 20-year-old delinquent works as a janitor at MIT, solving impossible equations, meant for students, in his spare time. He is soon recruited by one of MIT’s professors and made to participate in a rehabilitation programme with the hope of being employed by the university. Rehabilitation is made challenging as Will is a troubled individual; having grown up in abusive environments and jumping from different foster homes.
This book sets off with the ideas of 50 popular psychologists and comprises their development over a century in time. It explores and provides their crucial thoughts and insights into the personality, mind and human nature, bringing together their most influential concepts and theories collected.
This theory focuses on the role of unconscious influences on how we think and act. This approach looks at how the things that happen to us as kids help shape important determinants of adult psychology (2). This theory became very popular because of its explanatory power for human behavior, Freud 's therapeutic method, called psychoanalysis or Insight therapy, was developed to identify the underlying conflicts between intrapsychic structures and resolve them by bringing them to consciousness. Although Freud thought of himself as a scientist, and he was very thorough in recording his methods and outcomes, he did not practice scientific methods. Psychoanalytic theory was developed through case study analysis, a qualitative, not scientific, method (1). Freud believes that events in our childhood can have a significant impact on our behavior as adults. He also believed that people have little free will to make choices in life. Instead, our behavior is determined by the unconscious mind and childhood experiences