Althusser's Model Of The Self: Personal Analysis

The debate about the extent of nature or nurture on a person’s disposition is one that is constantly being reignited with new advances in thought and in research. Those who believe that the biological part of a person primarily determines his or her personality think that traits are innate. On the other hand, those who believe that the environment shapes who people are think that humans are born as blank slates. Between these two differing beliefs lie a multitude of other models of the self. Despite the discourse, most people can agree that there is merit to each of the different ways of seeing how individuality manifests. Even one of the most extreme beliefs does have truth to it. Proposed by the French philosopher Louis Althusser, the model
The first two mean that who one is relies on the environment that treats people differently depending on the circumstances they were born in. In Steven’s case, he is constantly compared with his mother, or the ideals people equate his mother with. One of Rose’s closest friend is Pearl, whose loyalty for the quartz soldier leads her feeling betrayed when Rose chooses to disappear when she wants to create a child with Greg. Ultimately, Steven is so closely connected to Rose that Pearl projects her love of his mother onto him. For example, when Steven’s friend Connie decides to train to help protect Steven from the hostile Gem Homeworld, Pearl is able to see herself in Connie due to both of them wanting to protect the one they love who bears the same Rose Quartz gem in his or her navel. Pearl takes the training too seriously, pushing Connie to her limits and asking her, “[d]on’t you want him to live?” (“Sworn to the Sword”). At the end of the song the two sing, they both kneel down in front of Steven. Since Pearl has always been seen as a substitute mother to the boy, it would seem strange if she were to display subordination to him. However, the reason she does this is because she does not see Steven; she sees Rose Quartz. He undoubtedly feels this pressure of being expected to occupy his mother’s position. Steven confesses to an imaginary version of Rose that “the
They manifest due to Steven’s response to the other two components of Althusser’s model: authority and guilt. Because Steven was “born” only 14 years ago, he is still quite a child. Consequently, he does not know much about the world and of gem wars. The rest of the universe dictates who he is, and he acts accordingly. When Jasper, an antagonistic quartz soldier who harbors great hatred for Rose, arrives on Earth, she does not understand that Steven is his mother, but is not at the same time. She just thinks that Rose has shapeshifted into the form of a human boy. Even while she was in the process of being corrupted after trying to fuse with a corrupted gem, Jasper says that she has been fighting since she formed because of what Rose did to their royal figure, saying, “My Diamond! Your Diamond! PINK DIAMOND!!!” (“Earthlings”). Despite Steven not knowing anything of Pink Diamond until this point, he was treated by gems from Homeworld as if he was actually Rose