Erickson`s Stages of Development in Nebraska by Alexander Payne - Essay Example

Erickson`s stages of Development in “Nebraska” by Alexander Payne by Erick Erikson retransformed the views on human psychological development by his works. He concentrated his efforts on creating the model of personality evolution. According to Erikson, each personality passes eight stages of development, each of which is characterized by certain crisis or conflict (Carducci, 2009). Resolving this conflict a person acquires new virtues necessary for personality formation and is able to pass to the next stage. Erikson considered that psychological development continued throughout the whole life span, and emphasized the necessity of adults` transformation as well (Aiken, 1998). After a child passes successfully his childhood crises he faces new conflicts of a grown-up life. Erickson called the last three periods adults` crises. The first conflict of an early adulthood is between intimacy and isolation. The main task of this period is to become intimate with someone and to form true, meaningful bond. However, loving and committed relationships with other people can be possible for those who have passed the stage of identity development successfully (Aiken, 1998). This phase takes place between 19 and 40 at the time when people usually find true friends, get married, and have children. For the middle-aged people the main conflict arises between generativity and stagnation. The task of this period is to develop interest in future generation and produce something valuable for the society instead of closing in personal space. People from 40-to 65 are often involved in children upbringing or launching their projects in order to leave their marks in the world. This phase presupposes taking care not only about the members of the family but about a wider circle of people influencing positively their lives (Aiken, 1998). Career becomes important for this stage as it enhances social interaction. The last period of development presupposes resolving the conflict between integrity and despair. At this phase the person is prone to analyze his/her previous experience and assess it critically. If the person views his life as successful he/she may develop integrity. If the person feels guilt for the past or feels pity for having not accomplished the set goals he/she may feel despair (Shultz & Shultz, 2013). Ed Wood, the main character, of Pain`s “Nebraska” seems to face the final stage of his identity development as he is presumably in his mid 70-s. The problem is that Ed is not capable to resolve this stage crisis peacefully and accept his life as achievement due to numerous previous mistakes. Ed is obsessed with the idea to receive $1 million, which he thinks he won as a sweepstakes prize. However, the problem lies much deeper as Ed had lost sense of life completely and simply clings to anything which can give him relief from internal despair. It is obvious, that Ed Wood does not feel integrity of his life as he is detached from the family cannot work anymore and is prone to drink heavily. Erikson underlined that in order to pass to the next stage the person has to resolve the conflict of the previous phase (Shultz & Shultz, 2013). Ed wood is portrayed as a detached, reserved, and disagreeable drunkard in the beginning of the movie. He has poor connection with his wife and two old sons, which proves his inability to build trustful, intimate bond in the early adulthood. His elder son, Ross, underlines in the dialogue with the brother, David that the father did not care much about them and that to avoid troubles it is better to send him to retirement house. His wife, Cathy, also wants to get rid of her husband as she claims that he only creates troubles. It turns out later in the movie that Ed got married to his wife just because she wanted to and love did not happen between them. This fact reveals another truth regarding his sons- they were not planned and probably not wanted much. Ed Wood turns out to be the person who did not care much about creating meaningful and deep relationship with his family members when he was younger. His whole family knows that he liked to drink often and his sons consider Ed alcoholic. Probably, lack of love in marriage pushed Ed to booze. Moreover, in one of the episodes it turns out that Ed cheated on his wife in the first years of marriage and returned to the family only because his friend persuaded him to do that. As the result of bad connection and lack of intimacy his relationship with his wife are very depressing. There is no respect and support in this family, and the wife and the husband are not able to rely on each other in difficult situations. Ed Wood does not have true friends as well; his ex-colleague fooled him around forty years ago and still not able to treat him respectfully. Ed`s relatives resemble carrion-crows eager to bite from his supposed million as soon the possibility appears. It looks like Ed wood was a complete stranger in his family, in the circle of his friends and colleagues. However, his son David is the only person realizing that Ed has not got much time to live and tries to help the father to prove himself. Road movies are characterized by the character`s gradual transformation and development, alternation of the stable life perception. It happens with the “Nebraska” heroes, and soon Ed and David driving to Lincoln to collect money return home completely different. First, it becomes clear with time that Ed Wood was not such a degrading person, he helped people a lot, was too kind to say “no” to anybody, and planned to spend his million on his children. It also turns out that Korean War left a prominent trace on Ed`s life as he came back from the war even more unspoken than he was in mundane life before. His internal despair and devastation is the result of inability to express his emotions and share with his closest people. However, his younger son David manages to break the ice between him and his father by his patience and persistence. David is capable to forgive his father his previous mistakes and relieve his pain of transcendental vacuum. Payne added a lot of sarcasm to his movie, and in some moments the situations seem comic and dramatic at the same time. For instance, in spite of his expected $1 million Ed just receives “Prize Winner” cap. In such a strange way Payne underlines that Ed is a real winner as he managed to raise a son who loves his father in spite all the troubles. Davis buys his father a truck and allows him to drive it along the streets of his native town. This is the moment of a triumph for Ed as he meets all the people who treated him disrespectfully. This allows Ed to restore his self-respect. Film has a happy ending as Ed resolves his internal conflict with the help of the son and overcomes his sense of despair pertinent to the last stage of personality development according to Erikson. References Aiken, L. (1998). Human development in adulthood. New York: Plenum Press Carducci, J. (2009). A psychology of personality. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing. Shultz, D., & Shultz, E. (2013). Theories of personality. Wadswarth: Cengage Learning. Read More