What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Astrid
Running head: Examining the Strengths and Stressors of Astrid
Examining the Strengths and Stressors of Astrid
Introduction
White Oleander is a movie about a very strong willed mother who kills her boyfriend, she is sent to prison, leaving her daughter Astrid to a string of foster homes. Astrid is seduced by one foster parent and shot by another. A third commits suicide. Astrid is subjected to physical and emotional abuse. Astrid’s life was made up from a variety of each different environment she had to adapt to. Astrid relies solely on her mom and has trouble fitting in at school. However, her mom is self-centered, compassionless and egocentric. She lives by a set of her own rules and shows little interest in Astrid, …show more content…
inevitably forgetting she has a daughter at all. Consequently, Astrid fears abandonment and above all else is forced to adapt to many stressors. Astrid faces a number of obstacles that would seem to prevent her from achieving a healthy sound and psychological state of being, but as she progresses throughout the film she slowly confronts them all. It is amazing how she can obtain food, water, shelter in often unstable homes where she is placed (physiological needs) to gaining enough self-efficacy to fend off the bullies in her foster care agency. She seems to fulfill the need of safety, and also the need of Self esteem, Astrid demonstrates all the characteristics to be expected of someone struggling to rise above to the height of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Gawel). She adapts to the eccentricity of each new foster family, sometimes in positive ways which illustrates her incredible resilience when adapting to the foster care agency, and sometimes in negative ways especially in the incident with Ray when she crossed the boundary and had an affair with him. One of the major achievements for Astrid in this movie is when she acquires love and a sense of belonging with Claire, the third foster parent. However, Astrid remains fundamentally unstable and therefore vulnerable to all of the stressors in her environments.
.
Biological Perspective
Astrid presents some potential stressors that were formed by a biological standpoint. Astrid’s mother Ingrid was a neglectful mother at the beginning of her daughter 's life. In the film, Ingrid explains that she "felt like a hostage" so she left her daughter at her neighbor, Annie 's house. Ingrid is a neglectful parent throughout this stage of her motherhood. A neglectful parent is completely uninvolved in their child 's life, and it was obvious because Ingrid spent her time to "take naps in the afternoon and make love all day," she was not present in Astrid’s life. Children’s development is put at risk by a range of biological conditions, including genetic syndromes, in utero exposure to stress, and to more general risks such as certain types of mental disorders. . The fact that Astrid’s mother neglected her at early childhood may be consistent with poor prenatal care that may have added to the risk of biological factors.
Astrid’s mother behavior is clearly noticeable throughout the film as having mental illness consistent with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The American Psychiatric Association defines an antisocial personality disorder (also known as ASPD) as a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. A person suffering from ASPD is usually impulsive, aggressive, deceitful, and has a lack remorse for their actions. These people are often described as sociopaths and psychopaths. Secondly, her mother has all the obvious traits of Narcissistic Personality disorder. Ingrid has an inflated sense of her own importance and a deep need for admiration. She believes she is superior to others in her beauty, intelligence, and beliefs. Any individual who suffers from a personality disorder is often troublesome to others, and their pleasure sources are either harmful or illegal. In Ingrid’s case, her pleasure source can be both harmful and illegal. Harmful to the extent of killing her lover and manipulating her daughter to model her actual behavior. People with this disorder often believe they are of primary importance in everybody 's life or to anyone they meet. Ingrid, as many people with narcissism and BPD don’t have empathy or remorse, it’s an excellent representation of the affliction. The lies, the inability to admit to or accept responsibility for the hurt, pain and even crimes she’s done, and the self-importance seem as close to a real untreated BPD
As far as Age, Race and gender the novel and film portray Astrid as a 12 year old Caucasian girl who appears to be in good physical health. Astrid’s race is not a poignant issue until she gets more involved in the foster care system where her social factors are challenged.
Temperament
Temperament would be another biological factor that would add to Astrid’s strengths and stressors .The movie did not show Astrid’s behavior during early childhood but her behavior as a 12 year old reveals at some level what her temperament may be. According to Lesser (2007), Temperament refers to innate, biologically based traits that affect how a person responds to the environment, Although it is accepted that infants are born with a particular temperamental style that predisposes them toward certain mood states and styles of reacting, temperament theorists differ with regard to what specific trait most accurately represent inborn temperament. The film clearly shows evidence that Astrid’s early childhood did not have such a horrific affect on her temperament because there were instances where she illustrated persistence and the ability to concentrate in traumatic situations. Given the evidence supporting the role of genetic factors in temperament, researchers look to physiological, neurological, biochemical, and hormonal variables as the biological mechanisms by which temperament is transmitted across generations .
There were more traits that Astrid illustrated by adapting to religion, the influence of prostitution, babysitting, and also being exposed to drugs. Although Astrid may have dealt with these issues that could be added to her strengths, it paradoxically showed how resilient she was (Wang, 1994). According to Oliver (2007), Temperament is also described as a person’s natural interaction with people, places, and things.
A person’s temperament style is dependent on a variety of things such as activity, rhythmicity, adaptability, mood, persistence, and intensity. The three types of temperament are easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up. An easy child is generally in a positive mood and they establish regular routines as well as adapt to new experiences. On the other hand is the difficult temperament, which means the child reacts negatively, engages in irregular routines and is slow to accept new experiences. Slow-to-warm-up children are a mix of the two in a way. They have low activity levels and are somewhat negative, as well as have low mood intensity and adapt slowly . Astrid displays a slow-to-warm-up temperament during the scene when she gets adopted by Reina. At first, when Reina offers Astrid a cigarette and tries to sell Astrid 's clothes, she is rather against both. Then later throughout the scene, you see Astrid 's change from good girl to a punk princess. She begins to smoke cigarettes, sell her clothes, party, and even dyes her hair black. When she was first taken by Reina she was somewhat reserved about the lifestyle and was against it, but eventually accepted …show more content…
it.
Health Factors
Astrid’s health was at risk especially with the number of transitions from her apartment to the multitude of foster homes. Astrid’s home was unpleasantly poor; she lived in a dwelling where there was no heat, unsatisfactory clothing, and food.
Srinivasan (2003) declares, though often overlooked as an important determinant of health, housing quality has important impacts on health of adults and children alike. Housing quality has been shown to be associated with a wide range of health effects which include infectious diseases. Poor housing quality may include a contaminated water supply, poor waste disposal, and insect and rodent infestation, all of which have been shown to contribute to the spread of infectious diseases .
After Astrid’s mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her lover Barry, Astrid was placed in a string of foster homes that clearly had an affect her health. The environments in these foster homes were riddled with health risks. Some risks included poor exposure to air, extreme heat, fatigue, physical distress, and not enough food. In the novel, it illustrates how Astrid searches garbage cans for food. According to Rose (2009), Astrid is experiencing food insecurity, the lack of access to enough quality food for an active and healthy life which has been associated with poor health in children and adolescents (Rose, D. p. 1203). The only Forster home that was suitable for Astrid was Claire’s home. It was in a prestigious location in California and the environment supported Astrid’s physical health. Astrid was able to eat well in school and Claire was nurturing and loving.
Childhood Development Although there was not much information described about Astrid early childhood it would be fair to say that her nuclear family provided her with adequate nurturing and limited interruption in her attachment .The limited information available about Astrid’s early years suggests a loving and happy family with good attachment. Astrid seems to have developed ok physically which may attribute to her meeting most of her psychological developmental milestones. Because there is no evidence otherwise it may be safe to assume she went through the Oral and Anal Psychosexual Stages without fixation (Lesser, 2011).
Erikson (1963) believed that personality develops in a series of stages; and from here he developed eight specific stages. In each particular stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict serving as a turning point in development. In Erikson’s view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure.
In Stage 1of Infancy and stage 2 the Film does not give anything to go on as to how far Astrid met the trust and mistrust phase .According to This psychosocial development occurs between birth and one year of age.
The development of trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child’s caregivers. Caregivers, who are unavailable, contribute the feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. In Stage 2 -Early Childhood phase, this stage of development takes place during early childhood and is focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control. Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense of
self-doubt.
Here is where Astrid 's mother has a greater interest in her boyfriend rather than her own daughter; and we see the result of this turns ugly for Astrid when her mother is arrested. Consequently, she leaves her child alone to survive by herself with a family she doesn 't know and ends up hurting Astrid mentally and physically. Although Astrid is much older in the film, then what stages 1 and 2 refer to, the concept of these two stages relate from Erikson 's theory to the behaviors between Astrid and her mother Ingrid.
According to , Erickson’s 5th and 6th stages of Development in adolescence are where children are exploring their independence and developing a sense of self. Those who receive proper encouragement will emerge from this stage with a feeling of independence. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs will become insecure about themselves. Those who are successful at this will develop relationships that are committed .
Astrid has finally found Christ to believe in. She appears to believe that Christ will guide her through life and help her survive her difficulties and thinking that her mother will support her. Astrid ends up shutting her down mentally and forcing her to rethink her beliefs. Throughout the movie Astrid 's mother forces her to not forget who she is and brainwashes her into becoming unhappy instead of confident and positive with her life. Because her mother is suffering in jail, it can be assumed that Ingrid wants her daughter to suffer just as she is. With a lack of encouragement, it can be assumed that in the future Astrid will fail to develop any confidence of her own unless she can break away from her mother’s control.
Astrid most likely grew up with a lack of trust in other individuals she meets in her life journey. We can also assume that because Astrid has been through so many difficulties, that she has developed self-doubt, and has lacked a feeling of satisfaction. Astrid’s art work seems to be a key factor in her life that will enable her to release any emotions into a realistic image.
Astrid’s Identity Astrid is a Caucasian female who has no father in her life during childhood. Astrid lives within her mother 's shadow, causing her to feel isolation and a disconnection from her own identity. She is an intellectual teenager transitioning from middle class to lower class status. She has an elaborate set of identity concerns to incorporate which forces her to becoming an outcast in society .
Ethnicity Astrid clearly identifies herself as a Caucasian female, with her attendant expectations and behavior, including: prioritizing independence and individual egalitarianism placing high value on hard work, and achievement as a way to serve her family; minimizing conflict to allow smooth relations among family and community; and meticulous rules of communication, where the listener is responsible for gleaning the message while the speaker is charged with being politely indirect (McGoldrick et al., 2005). Some of these behaviors in the film are depicted where Astrid was motivated to do well in school, especially when she was living with her 3rd foster mother Claire.
Gender identity
Patriarchy is a controlling social force in the film. Ingrid’s fight against patriarchy is the underlying factor in the beginning of the film. According to Ramazanoglu, patriarchy encapsulates the mechanisms, ideology and social structures which have enabled men throughout much of human history to gain and to maintain their domination over women” (Ramazanoglu 33). In the novel and the film patriarchy is the essentitial theme in the parts concerning Ingrid, Starr, Olivia, and Claire. These women are the most prominent women in the film /novel who act as a mother-figure for Astrid. These women’s relationships are extensively outlined by their relationships with men. It is noticeably clear that the four women in the film deal with patriarchy differently, men oppress them all, both overtly and more indirectly. From the beginning, the reader witnesses Ingrid’s internal struggle against patriarchy. Ingrid’s choice to raise Astrid as a single mother is an example of Ingrid’s opposition to patriarchy; by raising Astrid without The lack of a father in Astrid’s life provided challenges in developing her sex identity as well (Jones, 2007). Theorists from major disciplines observe the father as a critical component of sex-role typing, including identification with the mother, Astrid understands her feminine conduct, and her ability to interact with males (Hetherington, 1972; Jones, 2008). Astrid made every effort to behave and tried to fit in but she eventually showed willfulness and deviated from her girly character (Fitch, 1999).
Social Class Another characteristic of Astrid’s social environment is her social class. Because of who Astrid is socially she exemplifies power, prestige, and economic status inherited from her mother (Lesser, 2011). Astrid experiences classism, where people are looked down upon for being in lower economic bracket, which surely placed another identity-oriented stressor on Astrid. Astrid babysat and did not retain any wage and she was involved in prostitution . Astrid was involved in a higher economic bracket when she was living with Claire. This would add to Astrid’s strength because of the accessibility and devotion that encompasses Astrid’s future. She valued herself by going to school and taking initiative in her artwork .According to individuals experience different kinds of wealth besides money: social capital, which comprises relationships and affiliations that can be used to one’s benefit. Human capital, which includes educational, occupational and interpersonal skills, especially when she goes back to school, and cultural capital, the experiences and styles developed in the processes of socialization.
Conclusion This film illustrates a young 12 year Caucasian girl who is the only child of a single mother who is sent to prison for murder. Astrid goes through a string of foster homes and five foster mothers. Each of the mothers had a different personality and attitude towards life. It is remarkable and completely convincing how Astrid changes with every mother – her behavior, her beliefs, her clothes, her ambitions, her self-confidence and self-worth. Astrid attempts to model all these different role models. One significant biological factor that stands out in Astrid is that she is exceptionally bright and acquired that intelligence from her biological mother.
Evidence throughout the movie shows that Astrid 's personality changes significantly after particular experiences that hurt her emotionally and psychically. Unfortunately, Astrid will always be alone-with no inspiration except her creative mind in her art work. It seemed that she could never find the happiness she was looking for. Although there is always a chance that the strength of the human spirit can be reignited, the film gives the impression that Astrid has changed so much that she will never be her old self again.
Bibliography
APA. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bates, J. E. (1994). Toward practical uses for biological concepts of temperament. Infant Behavior and Development , 113-116.
Berk, L. (2004). Development through the lifespan. Boston, MA: Pearson Division, Allyn & Bacon.
Davies, D. (2011). Child Development : A Practioner 's Guide 3rd. edition. New York: The Guilford Press.
Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and Society. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Fitch, J. (1999). White Oleander. New York NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Gawel, J. E. Herzberg 's theory of motivation and Maslow 's hierarchy of needs. ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation.
Hetherington, E. (1972). Effects of Father Absence on Personality Development in Adolescent Daughters. Developmental Psychology, 7 (3), 313-326.
Jones, K. (2007). Assessing the Impact of Father-Absence from a Psychoanalytic Perspective. Psychoanalytic Social Work, 14 (1), 43-58.
Lesser, J. &. (2007). Human behavior and the social environment theory & practice. USA: Allyn and Bacon.
Oliver, P. H. (2007). Temperamental task orientation. Learning and Individual Differences , 220–230.
Ramazanoglu, Caroline. Feminism and the Contradictions of Oppression.
New York: Rout ledge, 1989.
Rose, D. (2009). A Rights-Based Approach to Food Insecurity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health , 1203-1211. .
Srinivasan S, O. L. (2003). Creating healthy communities, healthy homes, healthy people. American Journal of Public Health , 1446-1450.
Wang, M. a. (1994). Resilience in Individual Development: Successful Adaptation Despite Risk and Adversity, in Risk and Resilience in Inner City America. (A. S.-2. Masten, Ed.) Challenges and Prospects , 3-25.
Zastrow, c. (2008). Social Work and Social Welfare (tenth ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks - Cole.
Examining the Strengths and Stressors of Astrid
Introduction
White Oleander is a movie about a very strong willed mother who kills her boyfriend, she is sent to prison, leaving her daughter Astrid to a string of foster homes. Astrid is seduced by one foster parent and shot by another. A third commits suicide. Astrid is subjected to physical and emotional abuse. Astrid’s life was made up from a variety of each different environment she had to adapt to. Astrid relies solely on her mom and has trouble fitting in at school. However, her mom is self-centered, compassionless and egocentric. She lives by a set of her own rules and shows little interest in Astrid, …show more content…
inevitably forgetting she has a daughter at all. Consequently, Astrid fears abandonment and above all else is forced to adapt to many stressors. Astrid faces a number of obstacles that would seem to prevent her from achieving a healthy sound and psychological state of being, but as she progresses throughout the film she slowly confronts them all. It is amazing how she can obtain food, water, shelter in often unstable homes where she is placed (physiological needs) to gaining enough self-efficacy to fend off the bullies in her foster care agency. She seems to fulfill the need of safety, and also the need of Self esteem, Astrid demonstrates all the characteristics to be expected of someone struggling to rise above to the height of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Gawel). She adapts to the eccentricity of each new foster family, sometimes in positive ways which illustrates her incredible resilience when adapting to the foster care agency, and sometimes in negative ways especially in the incident with Ray when she crossed the boundary and had an affair with him. One of the major achievements for Astrid in this movie is when she acquires love and a sense of belonging with Claire, the third foster parent. However, Astrid remains fundamentally unstable and therefore vulnerable to all of the stressors in her environments.
.
Biological Perspective
Astrid presents some potential stressors that were formed by a biological standpoint. Astrid’s mother Ingrid was a neglectful mother at the beginning of her daughter 's life. In the film, Ingrid explains that she "felt like a hostage" so she left her daughter at her neighbor, Annie 's house. Ingrid is a neglectful parent throughout this stage of her motherhood. A neglectful parent is completely uninvolved in their child 's life, and it was obvious because Ingrid spent her time to "take naps in the afternoon and make love all day," she was not present in Astrid’s life. Children’s development is put at risk by a range of biological conditions, including genetic syndromes, in utero exposure to stress, and to more general risks such as certain types of mental disorders. . The fact that Astrid’s mother neglected her at early childhood may be consistent with poor prenatal care that may have added to the risk of biological factors.
Astrid’s mother behavior is clearly noticeable throughout the film as having mental illness consistent with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The American Psychiatric Association defines an antisocial personality disorder (also known as ASPD) as a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. A person suffering from ASPD is usually impulsive, aggressive, deceitful, and has a lack remorse for their actions. These people are often described as sociopaths and psychopaths. Secondly, her mother has all the obvious traits of Narcissistic Personality disorder. Ingrid has an inflated sense of her own importance and a deep need for admiration. She believes she is superior to others in her beauty, intelligence, and beliefs. Any individual who suffers from a personality disorder is often troublesome to others, and their pleasure sources are either harmful or illegal. In Ingrid’s case, her pleasure source can be both harmful and illegal. Harmful to the extent of killing her lover and manipulating her daughter to model her actual behavior. People with this disorder often believe they are of primary importance in everybody 's life or to anyone they meet. Ingrid, as many people with narcissism and BPD don’t have empathy or remorse, it’s an excellent representation of the affliction. The lies, the inability to admit to or accept responsibility for the hurt, pain and even crimes she’s done, and the self-importance seem as close to a real untreated BPD
As far as Age, Race and gender the novel and film portray Astrid as a 12 year old Caucasian girl who appears to be in good physical health. Astrid’s race is not a poignant issue until she gets more involved in the foster care system where her social factors are challenged.
Temperament
Temperament would be another biological factor that would add to Astrid’s strengths and stressors .The movie did not show Astrid’s behavior during early childhood but her behavior as a 12 year old reveals at some level what her temperament may be. According to Lesser (2007), Temperament refers to innate, biologically based traits that affect how a person responds to the environment, Although it is accepted that infants are born with a particular temperamental style that predisposes them toward certain mood states and styles of reacting, temperament theorists differ with regard to what specific trait most accurately represent inborn temperament. The film clearly shows evidence that Astrid’s early childhood did not have such a horrific affect on her temperament because there were instances where she illustrated persistence and the ability to concentrate in traumatic situations. Given the evidence supporting the role of genetic factors in temperament, researchers look to physiological, neurological, biochemical, and hormonal variables as the biological mechanisms by which temperament is transmitted across generations .
There were more traits that Astrid illustrated by adapting to religion, the influence of prostitution, babysitting, and also being exposed to drugs. Although Astrid may have dealt with these issues that could be added to her strengths, it paradoxically showed how resilient she was (Wang, 1994). According to Oliver (2007), Temperament is also described as a person’s natural interaction with people, places, and things.
A person’s temperament style is dependent on a variety of things such as activity, rhythmicity, adaptability, mood, persistence, and intensity. The three types of temperament are easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up. An easy child is generally in a positive mood and they establish regular routines as well as adapt to new experiences. On the other hand is the difficult temperament, which means the child reacts negatively, engages in irregular routines and is slow to accept new experiences. Slow-to-warm-up children are a mix of the two in a way. They have low activity levels and are somewhat negative, as well as have low mood intensity and adapt slowly . Astrid displays a slow-to-warm-up temperament during the scene when she gets adopted by Reina. At first, when Reina offers Astrid a cigarette and tries to sell Astrid 's clothes, she is rather against both. Then later throughout the scene, you see Astrid 's change from good girl to a punk princess. She begins to smoke cigarettes, sell her clothes, party, and even dyes her hair black. When she was first taken by Reina she was somewhat reserved about the lifestyle and was against it, but eventually accepted …show more content…
it.
Health Factors
Astrid’s health was at risk especially with the number of transitions from her apartment to the multitude of foster homes. Astrid’s home was unpleasantly poor; she lived in a dwelling where there was no heat, unsatisfactory clothing, and food.
Srinivasan (2003) declares, though often overlooked as an important determinant of health, housing quality has important impacts on health of adults and children alike. Housing quality has been shown to be associated with a wide range of health effects which include infectious diseases. Poor housing quality may include a contaminated water supply, poor waste disposal, and insect and rodent infestation, all of which have been shown to contribute to the spread of infectious diseases .
After Astrid’s mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her lover Barry, Astrid was placed in a string of foster homes that clearly had an affect her health. The environments in these foster homes were riddled with health risks. Some risks included poor exposure to air, extreme heat, fatigue, physical distress, and not enough food. In the novel, it illustrates how Astrid searches garbage cans for food. According to Rose (2009), Astrid is experiencing food insecurity, the lack of access to enough quality food for an active and healthy life which has been associated with poor health in children and adolescents (Rose, D. p. 1203). The only Forster home that was suitable for Astrid was Claire’s home. It was in a prestigious location in California and the environment supported Astrid’s physical health. Astrid was able to eat well in school and Claire was nurturing and loving.
Childhood Development Although there was not much information described about Astrid early childhood it would be fair to say that her nuclear family provided her with adequate nurturing and limited interruption in her attachment .The limited information available about Astrid’s early years suggests a loving and happy family with good attachment. Astrid seems to have developed ok physically which may attribute to her meeting most of her psychological developmental milestones. Because there is no evidence otherwise it may be safe to assume she went through the Oral and Anal Psychosexual Stages without fixation (Lesser, 2011).
Erikson (1963) believed that personality develops in a series of stages; and from here he developed eight specific stages. In each particular stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict serving as a turning point in development. In Erikson’s view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure.
In Stage 1of Infancy and stage 2 the Film does not give anything to go on as to how far Astrid met the trust and mistrust phase .According to This psychosocial development occurs between birth and one year of age.
The development of trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child’s caregivers. Caregivers, who are unavailable, contribute the feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. In Stage 2 -Early Childhood phase, this stage of development takes place during early childhood and is focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control. Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense of
self-doubt.
Here is where Astrid 's mother has a greater interest in her boyfriend rather than her own daughter; and we see the result of this turns ugly for Astrid when her mother is arrested. Consequently, she leaves her child alone to survive by herself with a family she doesn 't know and ends up hurting Astrid mentally and physically. Although Astrid is much older in the film, then what stages 1 and 2 refer to, the concept of these two stages relate from Erikson 's theory to the behaviors between Astrid and her mother Ingrid.
According to , Erickson’s 5th and 6th stages of Development in adolescence are where children are exploring their independence and developing a sense of self. Those who receive proper encouragement will emerge from this stage with a feeling of independence. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs will become insecure about themselves. Those who are successful at this will develop relationships that are committed .
Astrid has finally found Christ to believe in. She appears to believe that Christ will guide her through life and help her survive her difficulties and thinking that her mother will support her. Astrid ends up shutting her down mentally and forcing her to rethink her beliefs. Throughout the movie Astrid 's mother forces her to not forget who she is and brainwashes her into becoming unhappy instead of confident and positive with her life. Because her mother is suffering in jail, it can be assumed that Ingrid wants her daughter to suffer just as she is. With a lack of encouragement, it can be assumed that in the future Astrid will fail to develop any confidence of her own unless she can break away from her mother’s control.
Astrid most likely grew up with a lack of trust in other individuals she meets in her life journey. We can also assume that because Astrid has been through so many difficulties, that she has developed self-doubt, and has lacked a feeling of satisfaction. Astrid’s art work seems to be a key factor in her life that will enable her to release any emotions into a realistic image.
Astrid’s Identity Astrid is a Caucasian female who has no father in her life during childhood. Astrid lives within her mother 's shadow, causing her to feel isolation and a disconnection from her own identity. She is an intellectual teenager transitioning from middle class to lower class status. She has an elaborate set of identity concerns to incorporate which forces her to becoming an outcast in society .
Ethnicity Astrid clearly identifies herself as a Caucasian female, with her attendant expectations and behavior, including: prioritizing independence and individual egalitarianism placing high value on hard work, and achievement as a way to serve her family; minimizing conflict to allow smooth relations among family and community; and meticulous rules of communication, where the listener is responsible for gleaning the message while the speaker is charged with being politely indirect (McGoldrick et al., 2005). Some of these behaviors in the film are depicted where Astrid was motivated to do well in school, especially when she was living with her 3rd foster mother Claire.
Gender identity
Patriarchy is a controlling social force in the film. Ingrid’s fight against patriarchy is the underlying factor in the beginning of the film. According to Ramazanoglu, patriarchy encapsulates the mechanisms, ideology and social structures which have enabled men throughout much of human history to gain and to maintain their domination over women” (Ramazanoglu 33). In the novel and the film patriarchy is the essentitial theme in the parts concerning Ingrid, Starr, Olivia, and Claire. These women are the most prominent women in the film /novel who act as a mother-figure for Astrid. These women’s relationships are extensively outlined by their relationships with men. It is noticeably clear that the four women in the film deal with patriarchy differently, men oppress them all, both overtly and more indirectly. From the beginning, the reader witnesses Ingrid’s internal struggle against patriarchy. Ingrid’s choice to raise Astrid as a single mother is an example of Ingrid’s opposition to patriarchy; by raising Astrid without The lack of a father in Astrid’s life provided challenges in developing her sex identity as well (Jones, 2007). Theorists from major disciplines observe the father as a critical component of sex-role typing, including identification with the mother, Astrid understands her feminine conduct, and her ability to interact with males (Hetherington, 1972; Jones, 2008). Astrid made every effort to behave and tried to fit in but she eventually showed willfulness and deviated from her girly character (Fitch, 1999).
Social Class Another characteristic of Astrid’s social environment is her social class. Because of who Astrid is socially she exemplifies power, prestige, and economic status inherited from her mother (Lesser, 2011). Astrid experiences classism, where people are looked down upon for being in lower economic bracket, which surely placed another identity-oriented stressor on Astrid. Astrid babysat and did not retain any wage and she was involved in prostitution . Astrid was involved in a higher economic bracket when she was living with Claire. This would add to Astrid’s strength because of the accessibility and devotion that encompasses Astrid’s future. She valued herself by going to school and taking initiative in her artwork .According to individuals experience different kinds of wealth besides money: social capital, which comprises relationships and affiliations that can be used to one’s benefit. Human capital, which includes educational, occupational and interpersonal skills, especially when she goes back to school, and cultural capital, the experiences and styles developed in the processes of socialization.
Conclusion This film illustrates a young 12 year Caucasian girl who is the only child of a single mother who is sent to prison for murder. Astrid goes through a string of foster homes and five foster mothers. Each of the mothers had a different personality and attitude towards life. It is remarkable and completely convincing how Astrid changes with every mother – her behavior, her beliefs, her clothes, her ambitions, her self-confidence and self-worth. Astrid attempts to model all these different role models. One significant biological factor that stands out in Astrid is that she is exceptionally bright and acquired that intelligence from her biological mother.
Evidence throughout the movie shows that Astrid 's personality changes significantly after particular experiences that hurt her emotionally and psychically. Unfortunately, Astrid will always be alone-with no inspiration except her creative mind in her art work. It seemed that she could never find the happiness she was looking for. Although there is always a chance that the strength of the human spirit can be reignited, the film gives the impression that Astrid has changed so much that she will never be her old self again.
Bibliography
APA. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bates, J. E. (1994). Toward practical uses for biological concepts of temperament. Infant Behavior and Development , 113-116.
Berk, L. (2004). Development through the lifespan. Boston, MA: Pearson Division, Allyn & Bacon.
Davies, D. (2011). Child Development : A Practioner 's Guide 3rd. edition. New York: The Guilford Press.
Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and Society. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Fitch, J. (1999). White Oleander. New York NY: Little, Brown and Company.
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