Lester Burnham In Mad, Bad And Sad

Improved Essays
The concept of a nuclear or “traditional” family is presented throughout this film as we observe Lester Burnham’s internal struggle with his role in the family. The audience is introduced to both the internal and external points of view regarding Burnham’s family structure which frequently represents itself as idealistic to those peering in--yet, we can clearly see a strong underlying sense of discord beneath the surface. For example, Carolyn Burnham represents herself as the doting mother, wife, and real estate agent that can balance it all, even in the miniscule details she finds a way to portray herself as the “perfect housewife,” such as when she mentions her secret gardening tip of using eggshells and miracle grow. A major contributor to Carolyn and …show more content…
Jane shows a fair amount of disdain for both of her parents for very different reasons. Her mother continuously nitpicks her behavior and clothing choices, often insinuating they are not good enough, while her father ignores her and eventually becomes obsessed with her best friend, Angela. While Jane does not appear to have any mental illnesses, we can see a connection between the reading “Mad, Bad, and Sad” with the way Jane’s parents are quick to disregard any opinions or concerns she has regarding the functioning of the family, as well as her personal autonomy. Because she is a girl, Lester and Carolyn often denounce the importance of her role in the family, such as refusing to let her leave a hostile family dinner situation in which Lester and Carolyn fight over Lester’s choice to quit his job and blackmail his boss. The use of sexuality as a tool is arguably one of the most prominent themes of this film, and is most notably present within the interactions between Angela Hayes and Lester

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The family’s shown in 1950’s sitcoms like Father Knows Best are representations of the perfect nuclear family in a utopian society where the mother is shown to be the docile homemaker where as the father is the powerful breadwinner. There are few to no sitcoms where this is not the case. In ‘Pleasantville’, David longs for the stable, happy family in the sitcoms as his own is broken by divorce and his mother unhappiness, Ross uses pastiche to show David’s worship of the nuclear family. David admires the family’s simplicity; he believes that the family dynamics, that closely follow with traditional gender roles, makes for a better family. Though, after he protects Betty from the black and white harassers, his admiration for the utopian society shown in the sitcoms is questioned.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Her husband, John, does not allow her to leave the house or do any kind of work. She is basically bed ridden as he encourages her to sleep most of the time. He even goes as far as inviting his sister to stay with them in their house to make sure that his wife obeys doctor's orders. Jane is not allowed to handle her newborn baby very much, as it may cause her implied post-partum to worsen. While John keeps his wife from doing as little activity as possible, she has nothing to do but wander her mind and thoughts.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Not surprisingly, Jane gets angry at the unfair treatment and abuse, as she is always the one to be punished even though she is the victim but there is one thing that truly puts her aside from many people and makes her a true hero; after being beaten down again and again she continues to be brave and stand up for what is morally right. She calls John Reed a “murderer” and a “slave-driver” when he says that she has no right to look at the Reed family’s books, inferring that she is of interior status to himself and in no way a member of the family. Although totally isolated in the world of the Reed family it is as if Jane realizes that no matter what her status is or the consequences of her actions could be that there is no one else to stand up for her so she must do it herself. She is heroic in this decision because, even though her childhood life has little impact on anyone else and she is solely standing up for herself, the reader empathizes for her while she endures the punishment for her acts bravery and courage. It is hoped by the reader that over time she will be able to, like the birds in the books she reads so religiously, soar above all the torment and let her…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The second chapter of Our Kids: The American Dream In Crisis, written by Robert D. Putnam, talks about how families affect people’s future lives. Although family affects the outcomes of people’s lives, class is also greatly influences the family factor. Regarding the influence of family experiences on people’s future lives, it seemed that the enhanced close-knit families allow for a grander success in life. Andrew was raised in a very caring environment where his family ate dinner together at night, and they talked to each other in order to keep up to date on what goes on in each other’s lives. Andrew’s parents’, Earl and Patty, live their world revolving around their kids in hopes of giving their children the right amount of attention…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the critically acclaimed short story, The Yellow Wallpaper(1982), Charles Stetson explores the theme of mental health throughout the story using the narrator’s character. He portrays the change of Jane’s mental health by employing the aspects of symbolism, perspective and traditional gender roles. Jane’s temperament in the beginning is very calm and she is happy to be married. Through the course of the story, during the rest cure treatment, her mental condition deteriorates as she becomes insane. Her increasing paranoia of her surroundings makes her start imagining figures, leading to a disastrous consequence.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    There are multiple instances in the short story where Jane expresses herself and what she thinks may be best for her, but John disagrees and insists that she is unstable; once a person is told numerous times by someone they trusts that they are unwell they begin to believe it…

    • 1674 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cormier, the author of the short story “Another of Mike’s Girls”, believed that love had a strong influence over the lives of those who are impacted by it. Not all love is romantic, and, often times, love is felt by a parent to their child. That kind of love, as mature as it may be, makes people as intransigent as the typical teen romance. Affection causes people to be irrational in their thinking, but it also can consume people. It can bring people up to the point”…of triumph and pride,” but it can also damage spirits and ”…lack motivation.”…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jane is controlled in her every move. These themes are shown to be true throughout the story. Feminism plays a huge role in this story. Back in the day women used to be looked upon as having no affect on society other than bearing children and keeping house. It was hard for women to express themselves in a world ran by males.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane is a 1962 psychological thriller. It is the story of the twisted dynamic of two siblings. Bette Davis plays Baby Jane Hudson, an aging actress who holds her paraplegic sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) captive in an old mansion. Throughout the film, Jane’s bitterness towards her sister sister escalates and even turns into torture and violence. While the film’s plot undoubtedly keeps the audience hanging on the edge of their seat, it 's the film’s commentary on ageism, sexism and sibling rivalry that truly make it a masterpiece.…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In a world where men often have power over women, it is essential that women heed Ephron’s advice: “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” According to Spivak, the person with the most power in the relationship is the “Self”, and the “Other” has little power in comparison (Spivak in Rodenburg 7th lecture). In this essay I will discuss the ways in which the roles of Other are negotiated by Jane Eyre and Jane in Jane Eyre, and “The Yellow Wallpaper” respectively. I will argue that Jane Eyre resists otherness more effectively than Jane by asserting her independence through challenging and then leaving Rochester, in comparison Jane resists otherness, but fails to separate herself from the Self, which leads to further disempowerment.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The isolation and oppression that Jane experiences in this story led her into a deeper, darker depression. Jane goes from feeling lonely to locking herself in the room and circling the walls in the end. “But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose my way. Why there’s John at the door!... “’What is the matter?’…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Brocklehurst is the contradicting overseer of the institution and causes emotional distraught towards Jane, whereas Miss Temple motivates Jane with "precept and example" (180). Mr. Brocklehurst is a man who made a point to have nothing nice given to the Lowood students (including proper food and water), while later allowing his wife and children to visit the school decked out in glamorous attire. His overall hypocritical and mean spirit limited Jane in believing in not only herself, but also in the good of adult figures. The differences between Miss Temple and Mr. Brocklehurst aiding to Jane’s life are abundant and obvious. The most noticeable example is when Ms. Reed told Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane is a liar and cannot be trusted, so he tells the entire school that information too without figuring out if it was even true.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    When thinking of the “typical” American family or the “Nuclear Family”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most of the time it is one mother, one father, and both parent two children around the same age. The “Nuclear Family” is exactly that. It is a family that consists of only one mother, one father and children. Nonetheless, in the twenty first century there is no longer the presence of the nuclear family.…

    • 1903 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history, the definition of “family” has grown and evolved to fit the needs of the time. Whether this include aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, or simply spouses, each arrangements produces its own benefits as well as challenges. In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the Loman family fits the mold of a “nuclear family,” defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children” (“Nuclear Family”). However, certain connotations and images follow this title, such as a white picket fence, the father as a breadwinner, football-star children, submissive wife, solid income, etc. Lomans wished and ultimately failed to create all of these notions, leading to the inefficiencies…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The sad thing is, Lester thinks so too. His daughter Jane has the least respect for him. He narrates how he wishes he could tell Jane that all of the adolescent issues will pass, but he “doesn't want to lie to…

    • 1189 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays