Breakfast Club Essay Adolescence: the one period of time when it is normal to have a crisis, according to Erik Erikson.

Credited for developing an in-depth model for adolescent development, Erikson himself had an identity crisis during adolescence, stemming from the conflict between his Scandinavian and Jewish roots. With a plot similar to Eriksons model of adolescent development, the movie The Breakfast Club focuses on five teenagers, and their quest to find their identity. If The Breakfast Club was presented as a case study for Eriksons theories, it would prove the theories to be consistent. In The Breakfast Club, role confusion, one of the components of Eriksons identity development theory, is highly represented. At the beginning of the movie, each character fits into his or her own stereotype: John Bender, the Criminal; Andrew Carr, the Athlete; Allison Reynolds, the Basket Case; Brian Johnson, the Brain, and Claire Standish, the Princess. The characters relationships with their parents contribute to their role confusion. None of the characters want to become like their parents; this follows Eriksons role confusion theory because even though the characters ardently dislike their parents, their behaviors are still strongly influenced by them. For example, the reason why Andrew is given a detention is because he taped Larrys buns together, to try and impress his father, who does not tolerate losers or weakness. Andrews father prides Andrew on his athletic skills, and wants him to get a scholarship. However, by the end of The Breakfast Club, Andrew realizes that he hates his father and he cannot relate to him. This is positive, according to Erikson, because it will lead to Andrew eventually getting past his identity crisis. In addition, Allison admits that she has an unsatisfying home life and that her parents ignore her, causing her desire to run away from home. Andrew also points out another example of Allisons role confusion when she says that she does

not want to talk about her problems, but she empties her purse in front of Brian and Andrew, thereby inviting them into her problems and contradicting herself. Also, Claire plays the role of Daddys Little Girl at home, but in reality she doesnt want to be like her parents because she thinks they are using her to get back at one another. Role confusion is one of Eriksons theories that portray The Breakfast Club as an accurate case study. Eriksons concept of identity confusion, the stage in the identity crisis where the adolescent can think more abstractly, is actively portrayed through The Breakfast Club. Identity confusion is also largely based on peer relations, and peer relationships define each of the characters. For example, Claire feels very pressured by her friends, and hates going along with everything that they say. Brian wouldnt diss his friends, Bender is defensive of his peer group, and Allison claims to have no friends at all. However, the teens begin to develop strong relationships with each other throughout the movie, sharing some of their innermost thoughts, and even teaming up together to lie to the vice principal. Cognitive development is also part of Eriksons notion of identity confusion. This is especially evident in Andrew. Allison mentions that Andrew does everything that everyone tells him to do and cannot think for himself, which Andrew agrees with. By the end of the movie, however, Andrew shows signs of cognitive development, such as when he stands up to Bender and kisses Allison, which he wouldnt have done in the beginning of the movie. The Breakfast Club accurately depicts Eriksons theory of identity confusion. The Breakfast Club also presents Eriksons theory of identity diffusion, the period of time where the adolescent tries out different roles to achieve a self identity. Each character is part of a clique: Claire and Andrew are with the popular kids, Brian is with the nerds, and Bender with the fellow criminals. Allison is somewhat of a social outcast, as she doesnt have any

friends besides the Breakfast Club, and goes to detention every Saturday because she has nothing better to do. Allison is a kleptomaniac as well as a compulsive liar, which alienates the Breakfast Club at first. In addition, one major point in the movie that demonstrates the diffusion of the Breakfast Club within their cliques is when Claire mentions that she doesnt think they all will still be friends when they go back to school on Monday. This is because each of the characters respective cliques would not accept the others as a part of the cliques identity. Also, negative identity, when the identity prematurely forecloses with unhealthy social habits, is presented in The Breakfast Club through the character of John Bender. Due to Benders unsatisfying home life and abusive father, he has resorted to an illegal and antisocial lifestyle typical to one of a person with a negative identity. However, through the course of the movie, Bender is shown to have a kind side, such as when he lets the rest of the Breakfast Club escape punishment and when he ends up kissing Claire, the person who he put down the most. Identity diffusion and negative identity are both realistically presented in The Breakfast Club. Eriksons concept of identity foreclosure, when an adolescent stops identity development too early, is portrayed somewhat inaccurately in The Breakfast Club. Brian knows he is smart, that his intelligence is a key component of his identity, but he doesnt accept himself. Brian even goes so far as to bring a flare gun to school because he has suicidal thoughts, stemming from receiving an F grade in shop class. Identity foreclosure is best represented at the beginning of the movie, where Brian reads the first draft of the essay for Vice Principal Vernon. At that point in time, the way the students see each other is as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. However, the movie deviates from Eriksons identity foreclosure when the Breakfast Club realizes that each one of us is a brain ...and an athlete ...and a basket case ...a princess ...and a criminal according to the final draft of the essay Brian leaves for Vernon. The students

learn that each of them did not foreclose on a particular identity, but they all share common characteristics. Identity foreclosure is one of Eriksons concepts that is not portrayed accurately with The Breakfast Club as a case study. With The Breakfast Club as a case study, Erik Eriksons theories of identity confusion, role confusion, negative identity, and identity diffusion are accurate; however, identity foreclosure is not presented accurately in the movie. The Breakfast Club is a heartwarming movie, with each character struggling to find a personal identity. Following Eriksons concepts, the characters emerge from their respective identity crises at the end of the movie with a more positive outlook on life and with a new sense of self.