Sociological Analysis of a Movie: "The Breakfast Club"
Introduction
John Hughes was the director of the Breakfast club movie and it was released in 1985. The film involved five students who were detained and they were to spend the Saturday together. Though the movie is old given that it was released in the year 1985 it is still applicable in today’s community as it was then. This paper analyzes the sociology perspective in the breakfast club movie in reference to the American dream, inequality and the stratification. At the beginning of the movie, all the students seemed comfortable with their different stereotype. All the students were unique in their own way and later they become friends by looking past their experience. The breakfast club movie shows how different children can be divided and also how they can be linked to social labels. Social labels are used to divide people by their appearance, interest, and behaviors. In today people think that social labels cause harm in the societies. However, everyone is working hard to protect his or her own personal label. Social labels are very important in a person lives because they give a personal identity in a given group that shares the same interests.
The American dream is the perfect Government which will protect each citizen opportunity to pursue their own ideas of happiness. Inequality is everywhere, according to statistics it is clear that rich families invest more in their children education. Poor class and middle class are stacked in the educational opportunities and the poor kids go to school with fewer quality resources. The conflict theory in sociology shows the inequality of a social group. Inequality can be seen through economic or politics. The film demonstrated a number of examples that had social group conflicts. For example, it shows the conflict that was created in the school by different social groups. The lipstick scene that was created by the inequality social groups demonstrates social conflicts. Claire was convinced by the other students to show her lipstick skills and she accepted and went ahead in applying the lipstick which its tube was attached to her bra (Hughes 4:39). When she finished the team shared a laugh for her skills though Brenda did not clap more and the group attacked him for being mean to Claire. Claire commented that she also has feelings and that they hurt as much and Brenda responded by saying no one is allowed to compare him with her since Claire comes from a rich family, she get everything she wants like diamond rings. It is clear that Claire comes from a rich family while Brenda comes from a poor family. Both Claire and Brenda live in two different social groups and social classes in the same community. The difference that occurs in the two social groups is that it leads to conflict which makes individuals feel jealous, inequality and unfairness. The family of Bender was not able to meet all of his needs compared to Claire who had everything and Bender believed they are unequal and they can never be compared (Hughes 4:54)
Social deviance is the most prevalent sociological perspective in the movie. Looking at their actions it can be observed that all have not yet reached the identity stage and this is seen through their deviant behavior. A deviant individual is someone who goes against social norms. All the students demonstrated deviant behavior through their actions which made them be punished or how they acted during the period of detention. Allison showed deviant behavior when he stole Brian wallet and Claire deviant behavior can be noticed when she engaged in a romantic relationship with John and skip classes (Hughes 3:40).John deviant behavior is seen when he refuses to engage in school activities and later he destroys the school properties. Andy broke the social norms by smoking marijuana the reason being that he is a varsity player. Brian deviant behavior is seen when he comes with a gun in school in order to commit suicide. Clearly, it can be noted that there all struggling with their social identities. Conflict perspective is proven where the conflict between the students benefited them at the end. Given that there are from different society and background the fact remains that there are all students and that there used every means to go against the school administration. They all showed social shifts, for instance, Claire become more rebellious and Bender was so emotions when there were together with Claire. The students become comfortable with the environment surrounding them and they created new roles.
Social control is also demonstrated in the breakfast club. Social control describes various social rules and political processes that regulate and controls individual or group behavior. According to the law individuals, relationship and commitments should not be broken. The breakfast club was on a Saturday detention meaning that detention is used by the government to punish and control the students who broke the law. The students are being motivated not to break the law by being threatened for more Saturday in the detention. Vernon the principal went further to punish the students by telling them to write an essay (Hughes 1:08) The detention is used as a way to punish the students for their wrong behavior and Saturday detention is used to let them know that their actions are wrong and to encourage them to act well in order to avoid such criminal actions.
The shallow attitude expressed in the movie indicates that there is a darker and hopeless perspective. This can be noted when Allison told John that when he grows up his heart will die and John responded by saying that he does not care at all (Hughes 2:55) His voice was full of sarcasm meaning that the adolescence is a stage full of fear and doubt. In the year 1930 America was going through hard times of war and political strife and it tried to get a solution through the culture which was totally not culturally accepted. The breakfast club movie it is noted that each character had their own stereotypes and there were working hard to defy them. For example, Allison laughed wickedly when she noticed that she had slept with the therapist also John tears his book saying that education has no importance in life and Andrew threatens to fight John for provoking him. All these are stereotypes which are viewed as negative. This can be viewed on how the American treats the foreign people and their ideas.
There is the social class distinction in the breakfast club. The society is divided into the social group into three major economic groups which are upper class, middle class, and the lower class. In the firm, most of the students were being dropped in the school by their parents. Social class was reflected in which means the students arrived the school with. For instance, Claire was driven to school in a BMW car by her dad, this car is known to be an expensive car and it can only be afforded by the individuals of high class. Claire father also wore expensive clothes such as Burberry scarf; the Burberry scarf and BMW car are recognized from far and give a suggestion of a social class. Brian is seen dropped by a Plymouth station wagon which is viewed to be an economical car and mostly it is used by middle-class guys. Both Andrew and Allison arrived with cars that indicated they belong to middle-class while Bender walked to school. This indicated that Claire belongs to higher class compared to the rest (Hughes 6:28).
In conclusion, the students were able to give different remarks of view on circumstances and they shared what they felt and stories that helped them to cope with various problems they encountered. The movie demonstrated the impact of social status and the identity formation of people. It shows how individuals broke the social norms in order to attain social status or identity. At the end of the movie, it can be noted that there all become friends and helped each other to accept their difference. According to the film, American dream can only be achieved when people admit that there are major problems involved during the transition from adolescence stage to adulthood. In the teenage year’s individual are seen as foolish forgetting that it is a gateway to do away with childhood and preparing them to be adults. There is no vision or hope for society if teenagers are not motivated to be good people. All the students in the film showed that they had the power but they were limited by control over them and all of them walked out of school being friends.
Work Cited
Hughes, John. The Breakfast Club. 1985. IMD. Retrieved from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/
