The film explores the idea of the expectations on teenagers and the pressures they can cause. Through the use of characters, different types of expectations are considered. These can include those from people at home, school and/or from internal assumptions and beliefs.
Claire is a prime example as she is affected by societal expectations and the pressures of being stereotyped. She is seen by the group as the 'conceited princess' she's made out to be, but she reveals she in only like that because the expectations of her friends expect her to live up to her stereotyped self. Its a trap that Claire finds herself under but can't make sense as to why she does it. The societal expectations have become too great for Claire, so she suffers from the pressures they can contains. |
"You just don't understand the pressure that they can put on you!" |
Brian: You're so conceited, Claire. You're so conceited. You're so, like, full of yourself, why are you like that?
Claire: (crying again) I'm not saying that to be conceited! I hate it! I hate having to go along with everything my friends say! Brian: Well then why do you do it? Claire: I don't know, I don't...you don't understand..you don't. You're not friends with the same kind of people that Andy and I are friends with! You know, you just don't understand the pressure that they can put on you! Brian is shocked. Brian: I don't understand what? You think I don't understand pressure, Claire? Well fuck you! Fuck you! Brian hides his head in his arm because he is crying. Brian: Know why I'm here today? Do you? I'm here because Mr. Ryan found a gun in the locker... Andrew: Why'd you have a gun in your locker? Brian: I tried. You pull the fuckin' trunk on it and the light's s'posed to go on...and it didn't go on, I mean, I... Andrew: What's the gun for Brian? Brian: Just forget it... Andrew: You brought it up, man! Brian: I can't have an F, I can't have it and I know my parents can't have it! Even if I aced the rest of the semester, I'm still only a B. And everything's ruined for me! Claire: (with pity) Oh Brian... Brian bashes a chair over. Brian: So I considered my options, you know? Claire: No! Killing yourself is not an option! |
The above scene is also very important when understanding another type of expectation, and that is when it's self-imposed. Brian puts pressure on himself to do well. He is so committed to study hard and achieve his own expectations that he cannot allow himself to receive the 'F' so has to 'consider his options', which happened to be suicide. His outlooks of his own achievements however have been evoked by his parents. Brian, as Bender puts it, is every parent's wet dream but still isn't enough for the Johnson parents. Their high expectations are what pressures Brian to do well, but unfortunately are too much for Brian to handle.
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"I can't have an F, I can't have it and I know my parents can't have it!" |
Andrew is another character who is influenced by parental expectations. His father, Mr. Clark, wants Andy to be the best and to win. These wishes of Mr. Clark's have become more than just a desire for his son to do well, but a demand that Andrew has to live up to. He is so conflicted by his father's expectations he can no longer see or think for himself. We know this when Andrew admits his reasons for detention and what he did for.
Andrew: And the bizarre thing is, is that I did it for my old man...I tortured this poor kid, because I wanted him to think that I was cool. He's always going off about, you know, when he was in school...all the wild things he used to do. And I got the feeling that he was disappointed that I never cut loose on anyone, right...So, I'm...I'm sitting in the locker room, and I'm taping up my knee. And Larry's undressing a couple lockers down from me. Yeah...he's kinda... he's kinda skinny, weak. And I started thinking about my father, and his attitude about weakness. And the next thing I knew, I uh, I jumped on top of him and started wailing on him...And my friends, they just laughed and cheered me on. And afterwards, when I was sittin' in Vernon's office, all I could think about was Larry's father. And Larry havin' to go home and...and explain what happened to him. And the humiliation...fucking humiliation he mustuv felt. It mustuv been unreal...I mean,
(he's crying) I mean, how do you apologize for something like that? There's no way...it's all because of me and my old man. Oh God, I fucking hate him! He's like this...he's like this mindless machine that I can't even relate to anymore..."Andrew, you've got to be number one! I won't tolerate any losers in this family...Your intensity is for shit! Win. Win! WIN!!!" You son of a bitch! You know, sometimes, I wish my knee would give...and I wouldn't be able to wrestle anymore. And he could forget all about me... Bender: I think your old man and my old man should get together and go bowling. Andrew laughs briefly. |