THE PERFECT SISTERS

 

Freud and feminist in the film the perfect sisters

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Freud and feminist Psychoanalysis in the film the perfect sisters

Introduction

The film revolves around two girls Sandra and Beth that are involved in the plot to kill their mother. The children are angry about their mothers since she is a drunkard and at times they got mistreatments from her boyfriends. It is when Sandra is in senior school while Beth is in middle school that they kill the 40-year-old mother (Brooks, 2014). They also aim at getting the mother’s insurance money as well as plan to live with their friends after the incident. In the plot, they use their friends to make reservations in their favorite hotels while they intoxicate the old woman and later drown her in her bathtub. They later split as Sandra goes to live with his aunt while Beth goes to live with her father (Brooks, 2014). A friend later finds that they may have been involved in Linda’s death as it does not look like an accident. He reports to the police and the two girls interviewed Sandra is tense while Beth is calm. Finally, both girls are taken to a court of law, sentenced to ten-year imprisonment and they never met again (Brooks, 2014). Freud theory argues that one’s personality develop as a result of interactions of one’s identity, ego, and the superego while feminism indicates the various mistreatment that occurs to women. In the film, there is an illustration of both theories.

Freud and feminist key ideas

Freud

The theories argue that the personality of human being develop as result of three structures of the human mind. The forces between these conflicts and our efforts to balance these characters what majorly shapes one’s character. The forces include Firstly, the identity that has the gratification of the basic needs and the urges. In the film, this is illustrated in the young desires to have their basic needs satisfied therefore they plot to kill their mother(Brooks, 2014). Moreover, Linda is a drunkard and offers nothing to the children as they have to depend on each other. Secondly is the superego that entails if something is morally wrong or right as shown in the incidence after the murder of the Sandra is guilty of killing drowning her mother. The id of the children is stronger than the superego, therefore, the forces pushing them towards killing their mother is stronger hence they commit the act. Thirdly is the ego, that tries to balance the id and the superego and it is considered self and useful in the practical context of the reality. From the film, killing is morally wrong while the two girls are mistreated by their mother’s boyfriend. They still have struggles and need her mother’s insurance resulting in them drowning their mother (Brooks, 2014). Moreover, Linda lacks mother figure that the kids can look up to as they realize that the only way to survive is if they depend on each other.

Feminist theory

The theory talks of the development of a woman’s personality after episodes of mistreatments, objection, and oppression.

Objection: the children are subject to mistreatments after the arrival of James Russo their mother new boyfriend who is physically abusive by beating them and is even sexually threatening to Beth. These episodes are important in shaping Beth’s character as she is happy after the mother’s death rather than being guilty.

Oppression as the children from the film is subject to oppression by the mother who doesn’t provide anything to the young souls. It is also Linda that drives the father care, therefore, denying the two girls and their little brother paternal care (Brooks, 2014). The children have a plan to take her insurance to cater for their needs.

Attitudes and values

Self-defensiveness: this is one doing something to protect themselves

The pleasure principle: that one feels comfortable after an evil act.

Motivation: there is always a factor that pushes a person to do something

Notion of transference

There is a transfer of hatred for both girls towards their mother. The girls have a plan to kill their mother and they decide to keep it secret to themselves. The girls even ran scot-free of the one-eyed detective in the case (Brooks, 2014). They are able to formulate the plan with help of their other friends. The mother’s character is also transferred to Beth who is becoming drunkard in as the film continues.

Role of the mother in the child development

The mother is the person that every kid is very close to therefore outlining her important role as the child develops. This is due to the physical closeness as well as the biological connection that the child has to the mother. In the instance, Linda had an important role in the development of her children as she had a bigger bond than their father. Secondly, the mother has a role in providing the right environment for the child to grow. Linda ought to have prevented her children from mistreatments by her incoming boyfriend (Brooks, 2014). She also ought not to have engaged in taking of alcohol and drugs at the face of their young kids as this led to Beth resulting in drinking. Thirdly, the mother monitors the child’s behavior development, In the incidence, Linda was getting drunk and setting bad examples for her young children. Linda ought to have monitored the weird behavior in her kids and they could not have killed her. A mother instills trust and security to the children, from the incidence Linda should have protected her children from physical abuse and sexual harassment. She also ought to have installed trust in the kids through the provision of basic needs to the kids and they could not have killed her in order to have her insurance (Brooks, 2014). Lastly, a mother has a role of ensuring that bad information does not reach the kids. From the film, Linda could not have let her new boyfriend threaten Beth of sexually assaulting her.

How Freud and Feminist lens interpret the dynamics

Sandra and Beth were exposed to physical and sexual harassments. This led to them developing the plot of killing their mother as she was the root of their suffering. The mother did not provide basic needs as well as offering the mother figure that leads them to develop the cruel behavior. The children were also exposed to conditions by their mother that led them to kill the mother. The superego is that killing of their mother is not right but they the desire to fulfill their desires in due to the suffering they have been going through surpasses the moral rule. They also experience lack of basic needs, therefore, kill the mother to have her insurance.

In conclusion, Freud and feminist theories are illustrated in the film. Freud is seen to be supported by three pillars the id, superego and the ego. If the context has a stronger opinion, then one may perform an act even if it is morally wrong. On the other hand, mistreatments towards women may cause them to develop a bad behavior.

Bibliography

Brooks, S. (2014). Perfect sisters [Film]. Hollywood: Julijette.