Good Will Hunting Psychology

In the book, The Ruins of Gorlan, by John Flanagan, the main character Will and the secondary character Horace had a long relationship that changed a lot through the book. In the beginning, the were enemies and hated each other, even fought each other. But, over time in the book, their relationship changed to one of a bond of friendship.

The movie Good Will Hunting exploits many points of psychology in the character Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT who has a knack for math. Some of the points of psychology include how a character develops after a lot of child abuse during his childhood. It exploits the idea that a child who becomes secluded may never allow an attachment, or when an attachment finally starts to occur, pushes them away. It also exploits the idea that Will Hunting has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Because of the post-traumatic stress disorder it seems that Will is unable to function normally in society, and because of this, carefully plans out his future as to not have to worry about encountering many people.

These being: family, schools, peer relationships, mass media, and work. Throughout the film, we see the growth of character in Will. He begins in the movie as the mishap trouble maker with a brilliant mind that’s being wasted because his inner demons are holding him hostage. Through the progression of his time in therapy, we can tell that will did not have the best home life. We discover that he was a victim of child abuse, both physical and mental. Because of this, he grows up believing that he is not worth much and will not amount to anything. Family is a big part of the way we grow up to perceive ourselves and present ourselves to others. Wills family did not show him that he was good enough so he believed he wasn’t and found solace in his school work. With the help of his peer relations and school, Will was “re-socialized” and succeeded beyond what he could have ever imagined. With the help of this therapist and time, Will resolved the resentment and attachment issues he has had since he was a child and begin to form new relationships while allowing others into his mind a bit more. This change in his life was all brought on by the professor teaching him. If he hadn’t intervened with the court and suggest that in place of jail time, Will could study under him and see a therapist, will would have never gotten better and advance much further in life. With the help of peer relations and school, will became a new and improved

His presenting self was the safeguard to his private self. Will was very much aware of his gift and his enormous potential but shunned it like some burden, or at least that's what he wanted others to believe. He often told Sean Maguire, his shrink with whom he had developed a bond, that his gift was something he didn't ask for, and he'd be perfectly fine working an honorable blue-collar job with his buddies. Despite his assertion regarding his gift as an aggravation Will's actions contradict, for he is asked why he just so happened to get a custodial job in the world's foremost institute for technology, M.I.T if he wanted nothing to do with his genius. Maguire sees behind Will's visage, he realizes Will is a wounded soul who really knows nothing about life for he hasn't experienced it, it is so much more that what he read in a book. It is hard to say what Will should have done for he had a difficult past one that most cannot relate too, or have any idea what it may be like to live it. However, If Will had been a little more open to the people who wanted to love him he would have been much happier. In his quest to never be hurt he was headed for a life where he would never be loved. His thoughts were becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy; where one's expectations of an event make that event more likely to occur (Adler, 65). Had Will been honest with himself and more willing

Will 's group of friends seem to pick on him and judge him, which questions if they are truly his friends or not and if he truly fits in with him.

The movie really relates the main idea of the story and that is what psychologists call intimacy. The two characters of Will and Sean are the central focus of the movie. Skylark, Chuckie and his friends help in the bigger scope but the relationship between the psychologist Sean and Will is what really counts in this tale.

Good Will Hunting is a story about Will Hunting who works as a janitor at MIT cleaning classrooms. Will is an orphan who grew up in various foster homes and was physically abused as a child. Will is also an extraordinary mathematical genius with a photographic memory, who enjoys solving math problems. Will blames himself for his unhappy upbringing and turns this self-loathing into a form of self-sabotage in both his professional and emotional lives. Because Will blames himself he is unable to maintain a steady job or a steady relationship. Will must learn to overcome his fear of abandonment in order to learn how to trust and love people who

The movie good will hunting is related with the Erikson’s psychosocial theory of personal development. As Erikson suggested that how we interact with others is what affects our sense of self, or what he called the ego identity” (Opens tax, pg. 304). the main

The movie Good Will Hunting an American Drama Film was directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Stellan Skarsgard in 1997. This movie is about a man named Good Will Hunting who was a genius but chose not to live as a genius because of fear of past experiences and the ill treatment he received when he was in foster home. Some of the other characters in the movie were supportive and some were not supportive of him. This essay discusses Good Will’s personality traits and his interaction with the other characters in the movie. Good Will Hunting possessed the following personality traits, namely: independence, intense interest in a problem, and the need for stimulation.

Will’s girlfriend, Skylar, had a good influence on him. Initially, Will was unwilling to establish a lasting relationship with her but eventually decided to join her in California.

Erikson believed that during this age children begin realizing that they have a will and they begin to understand that their actions are their own. Children will begin to accept and proclaim their own independence. However, just like Freud, Erikson believed that if parents are too strict with their children, or punished them too harshly this could result with the child having unhealthy feelings of shame and doubt.

Though the film fails to delve into the specifics of his childhood, it does become evident that Will bounced between foster homes and was often a victim to physical and emotional abuse. These childhood factors play a huge role in behavior as an adult. A recent study concluded that, “Toxic childhood stress alters neural responses to stress, boosting the emotional and physical arousal to threat, and making it more difficult for that reaction to be shut off” (LaBier). An inability to rationalize and control emotions and responses after abuse would indeed be seen as true in this film. This can be seen in the numerous fistfights Will found himself in. Despite the fact that Will could typically weasel his way out of convictions, he was convicted of assaulting a police officer. His conviction would turn out to be life altering. When Professor Gerald Lambeau saw potential in Will, he was offered a life that could include more than beers with friends and janitorial work. The arrangement Lambeau worked out

He wants to strive to do the right things in life, but is not necessarily sure how to; therefore, he is searching for the good will” (Wegner). In the movie, each character had a color that reoccurred through the movie. “Robin Williams’s character only wears neutral colors and I feel that it symbolizes peace. Matt Damon’s character Will has a color that keeps reoccurring throughout the movie and that is the color orange” (runge). “Orange symbolizes energy, vitality, cheer, excitement, adventure, warmth, and good health” (Morton). “There is symbolism when Skylar is boarding her plane and she wants to see Will but he does not show up. Then in the next scene, it shows Will sitting on a park bench outside the airport watching as her plane takes off. This symbolizes that they want to be together but they cannot be together” (runge). The next symbol “is the painting of a man rowing a boat amidst a storm in Sean’s office that Will comments on during their first meeting. The storm could represent the inner demons of both Sean and Will and the man rowing the boat amidst symbolizing their fear and feelings of being alone while amidst their separate turmoil” (Dakota). The second to last symbol “in the film is the car Will receives from his friend’s at the end of the film. He receives the car shortly after his breakthrough with Sean. The car symbolizes Will’s new freedom not only with his future but also with his new freedom from his

This was the first time both Lou and Will found something they liked in common. The settings in the book played a major role in both Will and Lou’s relationship, but also in showing how each character changed from who they used to

Will is challenging his gender, he is not like the other men in his age. Will is different from other men; he is living a wealthy life and he never worked in his life. Moreover, he never had a constant relationship for longer than few months. Will, who travel through life on the payment from a song his deceased father wrote years ago. In the movie if we compared Will’s flat and Christina/John’s home, we can see that although Will’s flat is so modern, cool and full with bachelor pad, but there’s something missing in it.