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Essay Subject: Examines adolescent development through a character from Todd Solondz's 1996 film WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines adolescent development through a character from Todd Solondz's 1996 film WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. Focus is on 11-year old Dawn, and her interactions with her family, schoolmates, friends, teachers. Peer influences. Analysis of characters in various phases of personality development. Theories of Freud, Erik Erikson. Types of support families can provide children at different stages of development. Paper Introduction: This paper is an examination of individual development using characters from Todd Solondz's 1996 film about adolescence, Welcome to the Dollhouse. His movie focuses on 11-year-old Dawn Weiner as she begins junior high school, but it also provides perceptive portraits of her younger sister, older brother, parents, and other teenagers at differing stages. The film gives accurate examples of individuals in various phases of personality development, facing some of the classic conflicts outlined by Freud, Erikson, and others. Dawn Weiner is a gawky, unattractive, unpopular girl who has been nicknamed "Weinerdog" by her fellow students. She is entering junior high school, and her only real friend is the even nerdier Ralphy, a sixth-grader who is watching Dawn's progress with genuine dread. That her best (and, apparently, Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The Weiner family is not strongly encouraging of itschildren's learning but does support their school involvement in at leastsome of the conventional ways, primarily by making sure that the childrengo to school and are aware of the importance of a good education (a lessonthat Mark may have taken a little to much to heart). The deck may be stacked against DawnWeiner, but she has an innate resilience that gives hope to her story. Dawn is left to figure outhow a psychologically healthy grownup ought to act with no clear examplesto follow. 367). While he may not be the best role model, he is the best shehas at hand, and the fact that he is her big brother is as important aswhatever specific advice and counsel he may offer. Erik Erikson expanded on Freud's theory of stage development,focusing not just on sexual development but also on psychosocial progress.In his scheme, Dawn is starting to confront the conflict between findingher own identity and being confused about her role in society (Berger, 19--, p. When Dawn runsaway from home after thinking herself responsible for Missy'sdisappearance, she calls home to tell her parents that she is safe, but theparents cannot be bothered to take her call in their rush to welcome Missyback home, safe and sound. . New York: Bronx Community College. 367), though Dawn's is deficient in several. He receives a letter from a girlhe met at camp who tells him that, with her mother's permission, she iswilling to have sex with him if only he will bother to write back. For Freud, latency is the dormant period betweenchildhood and adolescence (Berger, 19--, p. (1996). She is greatly taken with the new lead singer in her brother'sgarage band. The camera moves in on her,isolating her off-key voice, focusing on the brave acceptance with whichshe has learned to face the challenges of her life. 36 ). Solondzapparently agrees, since he has clearly made Mark as big a social outcastas the little sister who looks to him for advice on how to cope. Markchooses instead to concentrate on his schoolwork, remaining isolatedbecause he considers getting into a good college more important than havinghis first real girlfriend. That her best (and,apparently, only) friend is this goofy boy is significant in understandingDawn. Although his band betrays no real talent except those of its newlead singer and the results of his college-search efforts have yet to beproven, he, his parents, his teachers (and even Dawn herself) see him ashaving learned to do something productive with his life. She clearly favors Missy, the attractive, lovablechild, over Mark and Dawn, the nerdy, "different" children. The parents have an apparently secure marriage, follow predictableroutines, and have expectations for their children, even though thoseexpectations may be unrealistic. Dawn's older brother, Mark, has reached Erikson's stage of facing theconflict between intimacy and isolation. While slightly differingparental styles may be needed with different kinds of children, theWeiners' approach almost guarantees that Dawn will have to struggle toparent herself well, since the people who are raising her are doing such amiserable job. These adults, whomight have been able to provide some balance for her parents' neglect,instead provide no more effective role models. The fact that Dawn is so intelligent is something of acurse at this stage, however, since it allows her to be acutely aware ofher physical and social awkwardness. Like many adolescents, she is acutely aware of her uniqueidentity but unsure about where she fits into the larger world around her -or even if she wants to be part of this society that notices her primarilyto torment her. Sony PicturesClassics.----------------------- 1 One teacher insists she write an essay on dignity then houndsher throughout her presentation of the essay in class. People are always evolving, with the specific rates, degrees,aspects, and directions of their evolution being much more variable thanscientists once thought" (p. References Berger, K. Diana Baumrid delineated the four critical dimensions of parenthood:warmth, discipline, communication, and expectations of maturity (Berger, 19--, p. Missy, the younger, more socially competent sister, appears to haveresolved the psychosocial conflicts she has faced in more mainstream ways.She is constantly practicing her ballet (she wears her little pink leotardat all occasions), having learned to be industrious and productive.Whether or not she has any talent as a dancer is immaterial; her constantactivity has a purpose and makes sense to the adults in her world, so sheis accepted and encouraged for it. S. Dawn's teachers are no better influences. The final scene of the film, however, suggests hope that, despite thefairly universal obstacles surrounding her, Dawn might still be able toemerge from her adolescence better and more effectively adjusted thanalmost everyone around her. Instead of being rewardedfor turning in the school bully who tries to cheat by copying from herpaper, Dawn is punished for "grade grubbing" and snitching on herclassmate. Welcome to the Dollhouse. Although some might argue that his decisionshows maturity, in Erikson's scheme, Mark has not achieved apsychologically healthy balance between keeping to himself and finding theability to open up to another person (Berger, 19--, p. Her parents, for instance, only hear her when she happensto make a remark they consider injurious to their precious youngest child,Missy, and they punish Dawn for what is actually an act of asserting herindividuality. As Berger (19--) writes, "When it comes to a human life, nothing is ever chiseled instone. Dawn is not only an entertaining and often painful example of theperils of adolescent development, she is also a reminder that human beingscan sometimes transcend the impediments to that development. . In her eyes, the acceptance of this "older man" starts toturn her into a woman, even though, at 11, she is still far from adulthood. [and] peers are often familymembers [such as] the child's slightly older brother or sister" (p. 4 ). Dawn has been rejected by most ofthe people around her, and she is constantly struggle to find out where shemight fit in. In her scheme, Dawn's parents more clearly fit theauthoritarian style, though they become downright permissive in dealingwith Missy. Families in general can provide five different kinds of support(Berger, 19--, p. 5). The support he gives to Dawn is especially critical in herdevelopment. Dawn's parents present interesting examples of real parents trying tocope with their different children in different stages of development. Kathleen Stassen Berger (19--) writes, "Having a best friend who isnot the same age or sex correlates with being rejected or ignored by one'sclassmates and being unhappy" (p. Allthe major theorists emphasize the importance of mothers in the developmentof healthy, psychologically balanced individuals, and Dawn's is hardly amodel of ideal behavior. She watches a family party from theisolation of her bedroom window, seeing herself as distant and separatefrom the family but longing to be part of the action she is observing. His movie focuses on 11-year-old Dawn Weiner as she beginsjunior high school, but it also provides perceptive portraits of heryounger sister, older brother, parents, and other teenagers at differingstages. Where the Weiners are less effective is in encouraging the self-esteem of their middle child and providing her with a harmoniousenvironment that supports, guides, and nurtures her development.Nonetheless, the home, for all its chaos and coldness, is relativelystable. This paper is an examination of individual development usingcharacters from Todd Solondz's 1996 film about adolescence, Welcome to theDollhouse. 4 ). Dawn shows the most advancement in her cognitive development, andthis development is likely to help her through the psychosocial problemsshe faces within her family and her society. She is entering junior highschool, and her only real friend is the even nerdier Ralphy, a sixth-graderwho is watching Dawn's progress with genuine dread. She sits on the tour bus with the othermembers of the Benjamin Franklin Junior High School glee club,unenthusiastically joining them in song. 257). With Dawn, however, they are cold, punish her strictly, rarelycommunicate with her, and expect little from her. As Berger (19--) notes,"Children commit as much effort to understanding their social surroundingsas they do to understanding their physical world, and sometimes theysucceed" (p. The Weinersdo give their children the basic necessities of food, clothing, andshelter, and the family structure provides Dawn with one nurturing peerrelationship. The developing person through the lifespans,5th ed. 283). (19--). This appears to have been the pattern thefamily has followed throughout Dawn's life, and this parental neglect hasobviously increased her sense of isolation and abandonment. Even the nerdy Mark has gotten through this stage more effectivelythan has Dawn: he fronts a rock band and is focused on getting into a goodcollege. 4 ); Dawn is emerging frombeing a child as she develops a new interest in sex and the possibilitiesit offers. [NOTE: CHECK CITATION DATEAND PUBLISHER] Solondz, T. Dawn Weiner is a gawky, unattractive, unpopular girl who has beennicknamed "Weinerdog" by her fellow students. Dawn is at the end of what Sigmund Freud labelled the latency phase,in his theory of the psychosexual stages through which individuals pass intheir development. The film gives accurate examples of individuals in various phasesof personality development, facing some of the classic conflicts outlinedby Freud, Erikson, and others. Berger (19--) observes,"Peers are an important influence . If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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