Little Miss Sunshine Family Analysis

Superior Essays
Family life is a worldwide experience. We are born into a family. We develop our skills, and our ideas on worldwide views are shaped based on what we experience within a family. After maturing in a family, we create new values, and bring rituals and knowledge that have been taught to us from our original family to our new family. There are many definitions of the word family. Some people believe it is a term related to the bloodline, while others believe it is related to two or more people, who share an extended period of time with each other, and are bound by certain ties such as marriage (Galvin, Bylund, and Brommel 3). Families can bring joy, support, passion, and knowledge. However, families can also bring out the worst in people. Families can bring out anger, frustration, and sorrow. In this paper, I will provide an analysis of how the movie Little Miss Sunshine illustrates the family as a system, and shows the degree of adaptability and …show more content…
One characteristic of a system perspective shown in the movie is interdependence. Interdependence is when a change in one part of a family system results in changes in the others (Galvin, Bylund, and Brommel 59). While the family goes on a road trip, their grandfather dies. After he dies, the whole family experiences interdependence. The four men of the family, embrace the role of the grandfather, by making sure Olive, the youngest child, accomplishes her dream. The mother, Sheryl, assumes more of a prudent role by making sure Olive is comfortable in her own skin. As the movie progresses, Dwayne shows a developing relationship with his uncle Frank, and an increase in concern for Olive. While in the hospital, Dwayne holds up a sign telling Olive to hug mom. Another example of Interdependence is when Richard’s book “The Nine Steps” is not published. In response, Sheryl establishes her distance from Richard for the time

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