emilybr The Breakfast Club

[emilybr]

The Breakfast Club
By: Emily B-R



The Breakfast club is a movie about five teenagers that meet at Saturday detention. They are all very different from opposite friend groups and have a diverse rang of interests. There is a popular girl, a science nerd, an athlete, a pathological liar with no friends and a bad ass. Through out the day they all get to know each other and pour their hearts out to one another. They realise they are all more similar then they thought; they all have problems with their families and home lives. They all become friends and feel better about themselves for getting all their problems of their chests.

The Symbolic Archetype I relate this movie to is Water vs. Desert. In the movie there is great growth in the characters. After opening up their souls, they see what they don’t like about themselves and grow from the experience. The characters are in a sense reborn; they break away from their families and think for themselves. They become stronger people that don’t care what other people think of them.

The Situational Archetype I will discuss is The Initiation. The main characters in this movie change from teenager to adults; they are getting more aware of their problems, why they are the way they are and how they can get over their issues. They also start to understand each other and develop a bond. Most of them have similar problems (home issues) and knowing they are not alone brings them hope. The climax of the movie is when all character’s open up to one another and this proves to be intense and emotional..

The Character Archetype that is most dominant is The Outcast. All five of the main characters fall into this archetype even though at first they thought they had nothing in common. All the characters feel like they don’t really belong in high school and they can’t relate to anyone. They feel like outcasts in their families and feel ignored and hurt. Even Clair, the most popular girl in school feels like she doesn’t really belong and tries so hard to be everything everyone wants her to be. Another character named Allison, doesn’t have any friends and just goes to detention because she has nothing better to do. The athlete Andrew is the only boy that doesn’t want to make fun or embarrass the weaker boys. John the bad ass feels like an outcast because he is always getting in trouble for being himself and for his crazy personality. Brain the nerd feels like an outcast because he is the only one failing shop class and his parents don’t understand. Each one of them feels like an outcast witch in a way makes them not outcasts because they are all the same.

In conclusion, The Breakfast Club is an amazing movie and I highly recommend it. You get to know the characters and feel for them. It has a good balance of tragedy and comedy. The relationship that is built with the characters throughout the movie is interesting and surprising. There are love twists and unexpected couples. This movie could be enjoyed by a wide range of people because everyone can probably relate to at least one of the characters. It is definitely worth while to rent or buy and can be watched over and over!

[Evangeline]

I like how you pointed out how all of the main characters share the same archetype of the outcast, which I think really describes their situation. I think they also share the role of the mentor. They can't seem to relate to any adults, most of them have issues with their parents, and teachers are basically a joke to them. So they find solace in each other, all the characters help one another through their collective initiation into adulthood and the process understanding themselves. They become their own teachers and counselors.
I think John Bender may have a bit of the scapegoat to him in terms of his family situation. He has to endure the abuse of his father for no better reason then being a conveniently available punching bag and outlet. In turn, Bender takes out some of his emotion on Claire because she is a popular, ideal teenage girl and thus, Claire becomes a bit of a scapegoat for Bender to release some of his frustrations.
In terms of symbolic archetypes, there may also be the good vs. evil. The good being all the main characters, these kids who have become outcasts in their social and family lives, and the evil are all the opposing forces such as parents, teachers, and other students in the school. Most of them suffer this opposition by creating personas to present to the world, masks to hide behind (the jock, the princess, the criminal...) and in the end they conquer this opposition by letting go of their labels. All of the characters are able to identify themselves with each other and consquently, triumph over some of the "evil" in their lives.

[sashaoriordan]

I agree with all of the achetypes that you mentioned throughout your response. I would like to add that another symbolic archetype that could be applied to this film. The archetype of disassociation vs. integration is very evident. I would argue that each of the five teenagers felt alone and excluded in their lives. They dont fit in with their families, and the majority are not popular. By the end of the film they all realise the good things about each other and become friends. This shows the integration between the five teenagers.

[IrisT]

Interesting review Emily, I would just like to add another situational archetype. The journey is also very present in The Breakfast Club. The characters' detention isolates them from the rest of the school and uses them as a microcosm of society. During the period of time they spend in detention, the characters are forced to search for some truth regarding themselves, and restore their roles as human beings. Some of the characters provoke each other and force each other into psychological hells. At this low point they have no choice by to reflect on themselves - their family, flaws, etc. These people realize that they have a personal responsibility to each other. In the end they attempt to get along, open their minds, and return to the world of living.

[helene.hbd]

To add to your character archetypes, I would say that Claire and John are Star-Crossed Lovers. By the end of the film they admit their attraction to each other and Claire gives John her earring. However, they can never be together because of Claire's higher social status (disaproval of society).
I think The Unhealable wound archetype is also present in The Breakfast Club. John's father has created a psychological wound in John that I don't think will ever disappear. John is clearly hurt wound and it affects the way he interacts with others.
- Hélène

[Maddy Bouchard]

Really great review! I would like to add The Unhealable Wound to situational archetypes. This archetype is described as " The wound is either physical or psychological and cannot be fully healed. This wound also indicates loss of innocence. These wounds always ache and often drive the sufferer to desperate measures." In the case of each teen character, they all have an unhealable wound that causes them to be sad and indicates a loss of innocence.

Here are a few of the Character`s unhealable wounds...

John Bender reveals his wound to the group when he confesses about his fathers abuse. His wound is phychological in the sense that he keeps these emotions to himself and feels upset. The wound is also physical because he has a scar on his arm from when his father burned him with a cigar for spilling paint.

Andy Clark`s unhealable wound is that of trying to please his father. He feels suppressed by him and the pressure to be successful in sports exhausts him. This wound causes him to loose his innocence and ache inside. He becomes a bully towards one of the students because of these feelings.

Clair Standish`s unhealable wound is also that of her parents. She believes they use her to get back at each other which causes her to be miserable and focus her attention on being as popular as she can to hide these feelings.

[Mr. C]

Ahh...good to see that The Breakfast Club is still popular after all these years.

Emily - good analysis and thanks for bringing this film for our study. I too liked how you identified all of the five characters as Outcasts - they certainly are, even if some of them appear from their personas to be integrated into a community. How interesting that it is five...can the five structural archetypes apply? Hmmmm...I wonder. Or what about the concept of Fifth Business and the five leads in opera? Hmmm......I wonder The only thing I didn't quite get was your symbolic archetype - that needed a little more clarification. Otherwise, a strong analysis. Well done!

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