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Stereotypes In The Breakfast Club

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Masked Desires

Actor parade around in fictitious demeanors in order to perform their given part. Comparatively, athletic jocks create false identities to fulfill their role as kings in the socially constructed hierarchy system of high school. In the iconic 80’s film, The Breakfast Club, John Hughes investigate the correlation between standardized stereotypes and internalized struggles through the Saturday detention of five students at the fictional Shermer High School. Andrew Clark, on of the students serving detention, is the typical jock stereotype. His physical prowess and mentality undeniably affirm his respective social standing. However, while Andrew is the king of the social order, he is unable to dictate his own actions, let alone …show more content…
Andrew exemplifies this through hypocritical actions and related interactions with others. During the beginning of the Saturday detention, John Bender, the criminal stereotype, starts to tease and verbally assault Claire Standish, the princess stereotype, through various sexual comments and specifically, through his suggestion that they “...close that door, [and] get the prom queen impregnated.” Andrew, having the jock persona, takes it up himself to protect Claire from Bender’s harassment. While this may be perceived as an act of valor and kindness, the reality is that Andrew does not protect the weak. He simply, due to his mindless following of his position in society, sees it fit to protect Claire because she is in the same social standing as him. As if he was truly a protector of the inept, he would not bully the nerds and geeks at his school. Additionally, Andrew taped together the buttocks of Larry Lester, who was the average geeky kid. While later on in the film, he regrets his actions, he states how he “...tortured [Larry Lester] because [he] wanted [his father] to think that [he] was cool.” Andrew then continues to explain the situation to his other classmates in the detention, and finishes his story in tears, as he is unable to fathom the consequences of his actions. His unwarranted assault of Larry Lester proves how Andrew has sacrificed himself to abide by his jock …show more content…
After sharing how he taped Larry Lester’s butt together, subsequently causing complete social humiliation for him, Andrew states how he “...did it for [his] old man.” This reveals how little jurisdiction he has over his own desires. How he is forced to abuse others in order to appease not his own will, but his father’s. He then divulges as to how his “...friends.... just laughed and cheered [him] on.” Andrew exhibits his inability to separate his external jock persona from his personal choice. Ultimately, Andrew’s powerlessness against his own mind causes him to act contrary to his personal

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