By Christopher Cardon

Ms Mahood Breakfast Club Essay

March 2012

In the 1980s film Breakfast Club, Brian Johnson along with four fellow high school students go through a transformation after being able to see life, from the point of view from completely different groups while serving a mandatory detention. Brian up to that point was the stereotypical nerd. His life was enveloped by grades, where an A was not an option, and maintaining his 4.0 meant everything. Brian belonged to a cluster of clubs and friends that revolved around school subjects. From the start of the detention, it was obvious of his place in the social hierarchy and what group he belonged to. Not willing to break the rules emplaced on them, but at the same time, following everything the alpha male (bender) did or asked. A perfect example of this is when the group of detainees, sneak out of the library to benders locker in order to recover marijuana. Brian in this scene repeatedly asks this is stupid, what are we doing? blatantly making it obvious he did not agree that they shouldve left the library, but not being forced to follow, he followed Bender, and the others without hesitation. One theory that could explain Brians profound dedication to receiving the best grade possible is the Social-Learning Theory. In this theory there are two factors that influence you. The first factor has to do with expectations of meeting the goal and the second factor was the personal value of the goal. This perfectly explains Brians profile, because his life goals, values, and priorities seemed to be set by his parents, and their expectations. In his household, an A was the only thing accepted. This was so emphasized that Brian pondered suicide, even reaching the point of bringing a gun (flair gun) to school, all because he had received an F in workshop. Suicide means ending ones own life, and he considered this because his life was his parents expectations. They were so much instilled in his mind, where his personal value of grades, were his parents values. The second theory that could explain Brians behavior is the Extrinsic Theory. In this theory, the person is motivated by rewards to accomplish a goal. This applies to Brian because he is motivated to work hard in school, and surround himself in

By Christopher Cardon

Ms Mahood

March 2012

academic related people in order to receive an A. The A is a reward because it symbolizes him meeting his parents expectations, which will in turn earn him love. Throughout the movie Brian has one underlying emotion, and that is sadness. It becomes most clear in the scene where the kids sat in the circle, discovering the coldness of high school, the cliques that made up the student body and the infatuation with their image. In this scene he professes that he was considering suicide. Even though he didnt pull through, it is a rich symbol of his sadness because it shows that this emotion is consuming him, and it is becoming unbearable. The Cognitive Appraisal theory gives an explanation on how Brian produced, and is deeply embedded by this emotion. In this theory, it explains that emotions are produced by an appraisal or review on the event that occurred, and you decide or judge how you should feel. Brian because of his parents expectations, and their immense control of his life immediately decided that he was sad, unable to meet their expectations of a perfect student. To further explain Brians behavior, emotion, and motivation, it would be helpful to look where he fits into the Hierarchy of Needs. This Hierarchy was developed by Abraham Maslow in order to explain the levels of needs that each human needs to eventually reach self-actualization, or their full potential. Organized from most basic biological needs (being on the bottom) to more complex social acceptance, each stage represents the need youre motivated to achieve. I believe Brian is stuck in the Attachment and Affiliation stage. In this stage, your primary needs are to belong, to have love, and support. His need to belong surfaced again in the circle talk with the other 4 students. Here through tears, he questioned if their friendship was just temporary, and would disappear once school started on Monday. The harsh realities could not have helped, because they couldnt accept him for who he was, because of the image they have come to have. Also his contemplation of suicide, because he failed not

By Christopher Cardon

Ms Mahood

March 2012

only in woodshop, but in reaching the expectations given to him, shows how he is still striving for love from his parents, that clearly dont love him enough to let him be him. Almost every single high school student today can relate to Brian Johnsons stress battles that he fought every day. As technology continues to advance, and curriculums continue expand, stress can build on a students shoulders, until it eventually weighs them down impeding all progress. The number one stressor in Brians life is his parents, and their stifling expectations. This stressor is a stimulus for a majority of his hindering stress. Always pushing to fulfill their expectations him, it is taking an unhealthy toll on his body, and also it confines him from being who he wants to be. Instead of exploring all that high school has to offer, he is stuck only focusing on his schoolwork and grades. An acute stressor, which its intensity and harmful effects were augmented from the previous stressor, was receiving an F in woodshop. Contemplating suicide was just a start to the mal-effects of these two stressors; a coping technique that would significantly benefit Brian would be Direct-Confrontation Coping. In this technique he would confront his parents directly, and enlighten them on the profuse amount of pressure they put on him. If he is able to tell them in words, it would make it clear for them that they are not only expecting too much, but they are hurting him as well. Another stressor in Brians life is that he has never been laid. In the movie, when Bender asked him if he has ever slept with a girl, he lied and said that he did. Brian viewed being a virgin at his age, was social unacceptable causing him to lie. A way to cope with this stressor, and others similar to this he could exercise the social coping technique. This technique is going to others for relief, and for him he could seek others that view being a virgin as ok. It is essential for him to find an environment where he shouldnt be ashamed to be himself, and where he is accepted for who he is.