Michael Oher's Adoption In The Blind Side

As infants grow up to be adults, they succeed and surpass phases in their development that prove mental growth has occurred. These phases, such as learning to be independent and being able to make decisions on their own or being persuaded by others, are well explained within theories created by theorists and psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson. These theories were created to show a unique psychological outlook on ones’ personal developmental growth. One of the most crucial phases is the adolescent stage; this stage sees a growth and development in the biosocial, cognitive, psychosocial and moral aspects of an adolescent’s life. The Blind Side’s Michael Oher is a great example of someone who is experiencing the adolescent stage. Michael Oher is a seventeen-year-old African American who grew up in the housing projects in Memphis, Tennessee and was separated from his drug-addicted mother. As a result, Michael went from foster home to foster home until he was adopted by the Touhy’s. Throughout the movie, Michael demonstrated various cognitive and psychosocial developments. Even through his struggles and experiences, he was able to overcome the obstacles and become successful as a student and as an athlete.

“Based on a book by journalist Michael Lewis chronicling the real life Oher’s experiences, “The Blind Side” manages to inspire despite its broad-strokes approach to characterization.”(VLM, 2010) The Blind Side is based on a true story, the story of Michael Oher, a homeless boy with a traumatic past until one women, Leigh Ann, took him in as her own son and changed his life for the better. Michael is now known as an American football player, that was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. The film, “The Blind side”, produced by John Lee Hancock, demonstrates that a tragic childhood does not necessarily mean one is destined for defeat, as long as there are those who care enough about you. “The Blind Side” uses rhetorical appeals by illustrating ethos, logos, and pathos to teach the audience moral lessons on learning and coping with traumatic life experiences and defining oneself socially through personal actions.

After fulfilling his basic needs, Michael also achieved the safety needs where he had a sense of protection with his newly adopted family and environment that were surrounding him. According to Norwood (2009), living in a safe place and having protection from other is very important for human beings. In home, Anne treated Michael Oher as her own child where she always gives him support such as bought him some new cloths to encourage him to start a new life; she also brought Michael a trunk when he wishes for it. Besides than his adoptive mother, Sean Junior also plays an important role in the changes of Michael’s life. Because of the adoption, both of the boys had become buddies in a matter of seconds. After Michael joined the American football team in school, Sean Junior had became Michael’s personal trainer to brush up Michael’s techniques and physical abilities in football. Collins, daughter of Leign Anne also showed acceptance towards Michael when she ignores her friend’s impression towards Michael and chosen to accompanied Michael when she saw him study alone in the library.

The Blind Side depicts the story of Michael Oher, a seventeen year old African American homeless boy from a broken home, taken in by Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wife and mom of two living in a well to-do neighborhood. Repeatedly running away from the group home after group home, he was placed in after he was taken from him drug addicted mother, he happens to run into the exceedingly accepting family. Only after the catholic high school football coach sees his size and agility he is accepted to the privet school, despite a 0.7 GPA and lack of a place to sleep Leigh Anne Touhy, along with only one of his teachers, take a special interest in him. The families give him

As he receives all these gifts, he becomes more comfortable with his friends and surroundings at home and at school as well. He tested in the 98 percentile under “protective instincts”. This can be seen not only on test papers, but also in near-death situations such as stopping the airbag from killing SJ and protecting Mrs. Tuohy from the gangsters in his hometown. Every other subject his teachers have tested him in, he has failed miserably. Therefore, Mrs. Tuohy hired a tutor, Miss Sue, to help Michael get better grades and learn more efficiently in school. Other than schoolwork, Oher has grown into a great football player as well; he has learned to play his position at left tackle, protecting the quarterback’s blind side.

Through the use of low-key lighting, long-shot and dialogue, Hancock made me recognize the significance of friends and family by revealing to me the positive influence one young teenager can have on a range of people - in this case Michael is having a positive influence on Sean, his football team/coach and Leigh Anne. Not only did Michael influence these characters in a positive way, but they influenced him as well and changed him for the better. I'm concerned about the fact that our society is not improving instead it is becoming much worse with all the stereotyping that is rumoured. Avoid stereotyping others because you are not going to receive anything from it apart from putting others down. A million people did not believe in Michael at the start, but I am certain they changed their view on him

On the trip there Leah Anne stopped the car to get a eye-to-eye conversation showing that she takes great care in finding out Michaels past and how she can help him for the better. One night Leah Anne asked a simple question to Michael, if he wanted to stay? Michael responded " I don't like anywhere else" and sure enough she turned the guest room into a comfortable place for Michael with a bed, that he had never had before.

The Blind Side is based on a true story about a homeless boy named Michael Oher (Big Mike) who has been living with different people until the Tuohys take him in. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy eventually become his legal guardians and the story is about how his life improves while playing football at Wingate high school in Tennesee. It shows his struggles with grades, and how the family and Michael are affected by the other. Because of his giant size he goes on to get a football scholarship for the University of Mississippi. The story is about his journey.

Michael Oher is an adolescent in the movie The Blind Side. He was a troubled African American boy, one of twelve, born to an addicted mother living in poverty in a housing project in Memphis. One of the challenges faced by Oher is that as a child Michael was exposed to drugs, alcohol, and violence. He eventually became a

Leigh Anne leaves her Ordinary World by Crossing the Threshold into the Special World, where she must overcome a series of challenges. Leigh Anne’s journey begins when she helps out a juvenile in need. As a wife and a mom of two Mrs.

This is shown when he starts to accept the help others are offering him. He accepts the Touy’s help by going shopping with Leanne and working with a tutor that they hire for him, he also starts to work with his teacher’s in-between classes in order to improve his grades. He is working hard to rid himself of internal conflict, or in other words he is working hard to achieve inner-harmony. Throughout the film we see that Michael holds the instrumental value of love. We learn that whenever Michael was taken from his mother he would run away to find her. This shows his need to help and protect her, which is Michael’s way of showing love. We see this concept throughout the film, such as when Michael deflects the airbag from hitting S.J, and when Leanne tells Michael to protect the football team as if they were his

The Blind side is considered one of the best sports biographies and one of the best sports related inspirational stories. The blind side was published in 2006 and was written by Michael Lewis. This book is based on a Memphis native, Micahel Oher’s. The Blind Side contains two stories within its plot. One story begins with Michael Oher. The book explains the trials and tribulations of the young African American teenager. Micheal was from one of the worst neighborhoods in Memphis. He lived with anyone would would give him a place to stay for them night, The story follow his journey from being poor and then meeting the Tuohy family, who is a wealthy Memphis family who took him in and helped make his dream come true of playing the the National Football League. The book then goes into detail about the evolution of Micheal trying to play in the game of football. Lewis describes in the book how the left tackle position is one of the best positions on a football team, because the person maintain gin this role is responsible for protecting the quarterback 's “blind side” (“Blind”).

“I don't even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.” ― Stephen Chbosky, the Perks of Being a Wallflower. After meeting Michael, Leigh Ann, a high class rich woman, whose kids also attend Briarcrest Christian School, sheltered him and took care of him in her house. She treated him as if he was her own son. In one quick scene, the director indicates that Leigh Ann grew up a racist house through her high social class friends. But despite that, Leigh Ann did not let that shape her, in fact, she was very happy when she was taking care of Michael “I am happy; it has everything to do with Michael” she said one in the movie. On the other hand, for Michael, meeting Leigh Ann was probably the biggest life changing event during his life. When she took him in a took care of him and ensured that he has a happy life just like any of her children do, Michael felt something he has probably never felt before. Belonging. Leigh Ann provided him with things that he did not have the ability to have as a kid such as bedtime stories from children’s books, having a person that he could talk to and having a person who greatly cared about him. Furthermore, Leigh Ann greatly influenced his football career and she was his biggest supporter. She provided him with a tutor to raise his academic performance so he can attain a scholarship. She encouraged him, protected him and taught him the value of family and the importance of protecting them. Towards the end of the movie, Leigh Ann decides to adopt Michael legally. She was surprised that when she got to a government official, they said that she would only need to sign some papers without consulting his biological mother. She decides to look for Michael’s biological mother and request her permission to legally adopt Michael. Additionally, Leigh

However, his life came to a twist when he was taken home by Leigh Anne Tuohy. She was a mother of two children namely Collins Tuohy and SJ Tuohy, who were both studying in the same school as Michael. Because of this kind-hearted family, Michael’s life changed completely. Leigh Anne and

“All behavior is our constant attempt to reduce the difference between what we want (the pictures in our heads) and what we actually have (the way we situations in the world)” (Glasser, p. 32, 1932). If Michael and Taylor do not make a life change they will be incapable of forming a relationship outside of the current sibling one they hold. Taylor screaming at Michael when he addresses the issue of her HIV is a sign of denial and embarrassment. Because she chooses not to move forward from her divorce she will continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle and struggle to find her self-identity and self-worth. Her role in life will always be that of a helpless child. Michael consciously chooses to change his diet in moderation showing improvement and change.