It's one of the best examinations of the role emotions play inhuman behavioral development in movies. Following World War II, Salinger was diagnosed with "battle fatigue," which sounds much milder than PTSD (and in fact sounds like it could be cleared up with a quick nap). In reality, it was a primitive way to diagnose the thousands of mental breakdowns following conflict that we now call PTSD. RELATED:10 Jamie Foxx Characters Ranked From Heroic To Most Villainous. The short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" also deals with the suicidal thoughts of a man trying to live a normal life after traumatic events, and the story "For Esme" parallels his own traumatic experiences in the military (it was published only five years after Salinger was hospitalized in Germany for his nervous breakdown). At the end of the day, I still believe in possible character development and redemption, no matter how long overdue. The Best New TV Characters of the Last Few Years. She makes impulsive decisions, gives ultimatums and forces her beliefs on people with the expectation that they'll be accepted. The Little Mermaid is the heartwarming tale of a mermaid who cuts a deal with a cephalopod witch doctor to transform her into a mute nudist so she can seduce a man from another species. One of the telltale signs of PTSD is reliving the traumatic event over and over. Representation is as important in fiction as it is in nonfiction, and it's good to see complex issues like depression, anxiety, and trauma increasingly being treated not only with . The guy wanted to possess his girlfriend and control every aspect of her life. Yikes, that doesnt sound good does it? I'm sure of it. The worst example is Frank Kennedy, her sister's fiance, whom she tricks into marriage only because she needs him to pay the taxes on her plantation. Frontiers | Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A The story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) may seem singular enough to be featured as the premise of a movie, but his circumstances are far more common than viewers might think. "I don't know what this is, but my teenage rebellion sense is tingling!". Filed Under: Filed Under: Create, Storytelling, The Boat, Write, Writing 6 Comments. In other words, would these be people we would actually like if we met them IRL? Before you skip down to the comments to submit your passionate defense of Holmes' mental state, we're not the only ones who think he shows up on the autism spectrum. She was not some girl we pity for being bullied she literally destroyed the lives of everyone around her. No list of fiction's toxic families would be complete without the Wormwoods. Let it be known that I actually used to look up to her, especially when I watched the series during my uni days. Want more pop-culture disorders? What no one in the book acknowledges, though, is that Holden isn't acting like your standard-issue Hughesian teen, but actually exhibits classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The fact that he got into Yale despite barely applying himself in school is seriously one of the worst messages to send to kids. Mental conditions. She's just a teenager, after all, and her quirky desire to be human drives the entire plot of the movie. Ellen discovers ways to confront her deep-seated anxieties and embrace self-acceptance. But looking back on it now, shes the epitome of the Toxic #GirlBoss with blatant disregard for her staffs feelings. And these are just the tip of the iceberg that is, her failing to see how insignificant her problems are in the grand scheme of things. In It's Kind of a Funny Story,Craig is a depressed teenager whodevelops suicidal ideationand does the only thing he can think of in a particularly dark moment checks himself into a mental health clinic to get access to some medication. The iconic comedy trio has had a lot of interesting things pop up along the road to stardom. To be honest, we skimmed this bit back in high school. WithInside Out,Pixar created a surprisingly sensitive and deft portrayal of a child suffering from anxiety and depression that was accessible to both children and adults. 6 Things to Consider When Writing a Depressed Character In any case, show another character do the right thing and help (or protect), rather than take advantage as the character has been conditioned to believe will be the result. And sure enough, we find out that Glinda knows from the start how to send Dorothy home, but instead she makes up a ridiculous quest to the wizard with no tangible gain. Through therapy and reassessment, she's able to take her mental health seriously. Yet Glinda can't stop smiling that vacant Stepford Wives smile. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) isn't given a formal diagnosis in the movie but appears to suffer from extreme social anxiety, narcissism, and a lack of empathy. Pat feels things too intensely, gets too worked up about trivial things, but struggles to succeed because he's perceived as too high-functioning to be broken. Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of several bestselling resources including, The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus. Copyright 2023 Inspire Portal. And most telling is that Holmes' talents are coupled with an inability to interact socially with anyone but Watson. bastard.". Seriously, if we had a dollar for every time she whined about her talents being wasted and how her star shines too bright wed have enough to buy COVID-19 vaccines for even the most remote parts of the globe! Not ever. People are used to seeing mental disorders on TV. For starters, he lies to and tricks nearly every woman he meets just to get laid and even wrote an entire playbook on it! Scar from The Lion King grew up in the shadow of his older brother,Mufasa. In the wake of a patriarch's absence, an entire family, the Grapes, begin to reveal signs of mental illness to varying degrees, exacerbated by poverty and declining circumstances. How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters - All Write Alright Also read: 7 Airbnbs That Were Featured in Movies & TV Shows. Yet I still cant wrap my head around how her actions could be justified. Depictions that are seen as genuine across myriadgenres, from drama to comedy, allow viewers to learn about mental illness through accurate portrayals,perhaps even further cementing the need for understanding in the face of stigmatized thinking andimproved mental health programs. Presumably, their concerts were strictly dance-free. She seemed oblivious to the fact that he only wanted her as a submissive despite him telling her countless times. Whether the characters you relate to fly on broomsticks, survive high school with perfectly-timed sarcastic comments or pack a punch in an action flick, fictional characters can be so relatable because they capture real human emotions. He was self-centred and constantly hurting people who were close to him. The Diagnosis: Avoidant personality disorder (APD), What Is APD? Chuck always gets the sense that no one likes him and everyone is making fun of him. Bella Swan might have gotten a lot of flack for being utterly bland (hey, not her fault she was written that way), but at least she wasnt a centuries-old vampire who went for a literal 17-year-old. Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother CBS He was a sex-obsessed womaniser who treated women like objects, tricking and misleading them into sleeping with. Check out cartoon characters who you never realized had mental disorders below and vote up the most accurate diagnoses. Once she settles into her new environment, she comes out of her shell thanks to a doctor (Keanu Reeves) with non-traditional and inclusive methods of approaching her mental illness. Sure, he was the President, but lets be real she was way too good for him. You can find more from Amanda at gizmachronicles.blogspot.com. Shows like, But its weird to think that your favorite silly, zany cartoon characters can suffer from those same afflictions. Or would they be someone wed rather not be in the same room with? Ariel, there is a certain reality show we want to put you in touch with . We're going to avoid the obvious fact that Belle's relationship with the Beast who is imprisoning her shows all the signs of Stockholm syndrome (and in fact we've already detailed that here). Anyway, heres my take: her eventual descent into madness was no shocker. This dude is as misogynistic as they come, and while Robin Scherbatsky was far from the best character, she certainly deserved better. However, she has some downright unsavory characteristics as well. We're guessing not even Disney would dispute that one. Has anyone ever seen the playful tiger sit still for more than two seconds? OK, cool.". With Nicolas Cage in the role of Roy, a con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder,audiences might expect him to bring some of his grandiose showboating to Matchstick Men. 20 Problematic Fictional Characters from Famous Movies & TV Shows ", The first thing to keep in mind is that the character isn't just portrayed as being really smart -- he is obsessed with certain subjects and totally excludes all others. Alice's delusions build a magical world that shows her schizophrenic perceptions. This would have been perfectly fine if not for the fact that these two dude-bros literally kissed an unconscious woman. (5) The character must live with the consequences of his . my all-time favourite fiction writing book series. Vulnerability is really all about laying ourselves bare. Reading fiction books helps us get better at working out other people's thoughts and feelings, because we get the . Glinda then takes the dead woman's slippers -- the only keepsake by which the Wicked Witch might remember her sister -- and forces Dorothy to wear them. Bigot - One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. The 80s was obviously the era of mean and inconsiderate teenage guys starring in high school-set movies. Frank, callous, insensitive, brusque. The Diagnosis: Antisocial personality disorder (APD), What Is APD? They show no guilt or remorse for their behavior.". Want to be featured in similar posts? The perceived dramatic nature of a mental illness has notoriously meant it's too often conveyed as a means to broadcast sentimentality or sensationalism. One of them is appropriate. Everyone says Big was a bad character, but seriously they both sucked so much they deserved each other. And the fact that she did this after reading private entries from her moms diary and never bothered giving anyone a heads up! Sorry for the late responseI had responded when this came up, but I think the Internet must have eaten it. And you know what, we're going to give the main character, Ariel, a pass on all that. Advertise | Cut through the noise with integrated Which begs the question: what was the point, really? Holden consistently, almost compulsively, refers to seeing the face of his dead classmate, James Castle, yet he never seems to have any emotional reaction to the event. When we trust someone, we want to open ourselves to them because doing so signifies a high level of self-acceptance. Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl Granted, nobody in the show was actually a good person and despite their impeccable taste and style they all had more issues than Vogue. Rather than ostracize him, his community plays along with his delusion at the behest of his doctor, helping himcome to terms with prior trauma while at the same time becoming more introspective and tolerant as a whole. Think again. Among the problematic fictional characters weve listed so far, this dude is basically the epitome of white male privilege. Yes, I definitely did just lump these two in the same item. Interesting word, though: trust. Mark Ruffalo is at his mercurial best depicting Cam, a single father suffering from manic depression, unsure of how to take care of himself let alone his two spirited daughters. 19 Characters From TV Shows And Movies Who Are Actually - BuzzFeed Alice from Alice in Wonderland clearly suffers from schizophrenia. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site, Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop For Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. We made them that way. According to the Mayo Clinic, NPD is "a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. From there, things just get worse. Required fields are marked *. It's unlikely that the writers who created these characters consciously decided they would give them an undiagnosed mental disorder as one of their traits. Getty "Holmes, stop looking through my stuff for clues. / Conceal, dont feel, dont let them know.. Love and Belonging is one of the categories of basic human needs (as defined by Maslows Hierarchy of Human Needs) that drive all people to act. Now, lets move on to Disney characters who totally gave the wrong message to many young children. Phobias and fears. Eventually, Benny invites Sam (Johnny Depp) into their household at his sister's request and watches her flourish interacting with the eccentric artist. This aspect of moral self-trust brings the role of empathy with fictional characters clearly into view. I appreciated that the characters, while based on fictional characters, were still familiar. By the end of the film, the brothers grow to know a fraternal love unlike anything either has ever experienced. Adult attachment and engagement with fictional characters (2) There's no easy solution, no easy way out. When Milo (Bill Hader)attempts suicide, he reunites with his estranged twin sister Maggie (Kristen Wiig) in the hospital. She burns her way through three marriages over the course of a few years, sticking with each man only until he wears out his usefulness. The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the quintessential example of NPD. Seriously, she spent most of the time just whining and depending on Troy. Accepting that depression will always be a part of their lives is the only way they are able to healthily move forward. In one of the Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet, he doesn't know that the Earth revolves around the sun (because, he says, the information doesn't have any effect on his everyday life). The stigma is lifting, and with its absence, genuine depictions are showcased. I dont know about you, but I think if this were someone who wasnt as cute as Ryan Gosling, it would definitely be deemed as downright manipulative. The strongest, most compelling characters are those who are authentic, true-to-life. In one of the most critically acclaimed performances of her career, Natalie Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a star ballerina in the midst of heavy competition for the lead role in the popular ballet Swan Lake. If so, wed love to hear your own hot takes on our Facebook page! As well as helping us understand ourselves better, reading books might also help us understand and empathize with other people, by guiding us to see things from their points of view. This need for domination, coupled with Scar's APD, led to the brutal killing of Mufasa. When Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper in one of his best roles) nearly beats his wife's lover to death he's institutionalized, not thrown in jail. As discussed above, relatively effortless empathy with a fictional character imbues us with the perception that we are similar to the character in question. What's Eating Gilbert Grapeis about the importance of characters not only identifying their own mental illnesses but locating those around them that understand them as well. Shows like Girls, Monk, and Parenthood allow the spectator to get a small sense of what its like to be around a person afflicted with a mental illness. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! This is why we bond with family members, form friendships, and search for that special someone. She collects everything she can find, despite having no idea what any of it does. This seductive behavior, the incapacity to maintain enduring relationships and her persistent manipulation are all signs of a disorder that even Civil War-era doctors could have picked up on. She was incredibly entitled and self-centred. Problematic fictional characters from popular TV shows 1. So if Love and Belonging drives us, it must motivate our characters as well (especially in Romances!) In fact, someone with the disorder is more likely to find stronger intimacy with animals than people, so it's little surprise that Belle develops a relationship with a beast instead of a man.