The Breakfast Club Reaction Paper
Escobañez, Kristine Diane P. September 19, 2013
2013 – 02321 ENG101 – CHEM
From Past to Modern-Day Dilemmas
A Reaction on John Hughes’
The Breakfast Club
March 24, 1984. Saturday. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois. Forced to spend a Saturday detention in the library, five high school students with nothing in common, and each a member of different social group, met. At first they hated each other, but after telling their own stories and emotions, they became good friends. An athlete, a brain, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal comprise the Breakfast Club. I found the plot of the movie very relatable. Even though it was released some years back, it still has the power to touch the hearts of the viewers. Moreover, I found the scene about them describing their families interesting. Desmond Tutu once said that family is a God-given gift and we do not have preferences in choosing (7 September, 1986). With this in mind, our parents are the people responsible for our outcome. Although this may be true, The Breakfast Club provided an overview about abusive parents. That is to say, Bender’s father was an abusive father who hits his wife; Allison was being ignored by her family, Brian’s parents had high expectations that put pressure on him, the father of Andrew did not want him to be a loser because he believed that winning is everything; and Claire was used by her parents to counter flow each other. In the event that the parents abuse their children, they are more likely to become abusive parents when they grow up, too (Help Guide). But in the case of the characters, they promised not to be like them. “My God, are we gonna be like our parents?” Andrew said. “Not me… ever…” Claire answered. Additionally, we wonder how Mr. Vernon became an instructor because of how he addressed the students. Regardless of his position being the vice principal of Shermer High School, he conversed with the students in a very disrespectful way,
2013 – 02321 ENG101 – CHEM
From Past to Modern-Day Dilemmas
A Reaction on John Hughes’
The Breakfast Club
March 24, 1984. Saturday. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois. Forced to spend a Saturday detention in the library, five high school students with nothing in common, and each a member of different social group, met. At first they hated each other, but after telling their own stories and emotions, they became good friends. An athlete, a brain, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal comprise the Breakfast Club. I found the plot of the movie very relatable. Even though it was released some years back, it still has the power to touch the hearts of the viewers. Moreover, I found the scene about them describing their families interesting. Desmond Tutu once said that family is a God-given gift and we do not have preferences in choosing (7 September, 1986). With this in mind, our parents are the people responsible for our outcome. Although this may be true, The Breakfast Club provided an overview about abusive parents. That is to say, Bender’s father was an abusive father who hits his wife; Allison was being ignored by her family, Brian’s parents had high expectations that put pressure on him, the father of Andrew did not want him to be a loser because he believed that winning is everything; and Claire was used by her parents to counter flow each other. In the event that the parents abuse their children, they are more likely to become abusive parents when they grow up, too (Help Guide). But in the case of the characters, they promised not to be like them. “My God, are we gonna be like our parents?” Andrew said. “Not me… ever…” Claire answered. Additionally, we wonder how Mr. Vernon became an instructor because of how he addressed the students. Regardless of his position being the vice principal of Shermer High School, he conversed with the students in a very disrespectful way,
References: _______. (n.d.). Film: The breakfast club. http://www.tvtropes.org. Retrieved from http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheBreakfastClub?from=Main.TheBreakfastClub _______. (n.d.) The breakfast club. http://princeton.edu. Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/The_Breakfast_Club.html _______. (n.d.). Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect. Child abuse & neglect. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm _______. (n.d.) Why Do People Give in to Peer Pressure?. Dealing with Peer Pressure. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/peer_pressure.html Friesen, G. (Executive Producer), & Hughes, J. (Director). (1985). The breakfast club [Motion Picture]. United States: Universal Pictures Kaye, D. M.D. & Ets-Hokin, E. Ph.D. (2000). Part I. Scene-by-Scene Exploration of Developmental Themes. The Breakfast Club: Utilizing popular film to teach adolescent development. 24 (110-116). Retrieved from http://ap.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=47262 Tutu, D. (7 September, 1986). Angelican archbishop of Cape Town. Retrieved from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu