Michael Oher might be a name you are familiar with, but it hasn’t always been that way. Michael Lewis’ book The Blind Side tells Michael’s story of how he became himself. Michael is one of thirteen of his mother’s children and was living with her in housing projects in Memphis, Tennessee. Michael is basically homeless as he usually stays wherever he can other than his mother’s. Michael is in and out of school as a teen and is living a rough life. But, Michael’s life changes drastically all at once. In the beginning of the book Michael basically has nothing. He’s homeless and is in and out of various schools. Michael’s life turned around when Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy took Michael in and became his legal guardians. At the start of the book
Michael was brought up in poor project housing that was consumed by drugs, alcohol, and gangs. He was pushed in and out of foster homes forcefully being separated from his mother and siblings. As the movie showed in harsh flashbacks, Michael is deeply affected by the forceful separation from his mother. This constant absence from the mother or other supportive figures leaves Michael unable to make a secure attachment to any strong base. Erikson’s stage of trust versus mistrust is displayed due to Michael’s inability to count on the kindness and compassion of others which leads him to withdraw from his surroundings (p 248). This abrupt memory in life affects Michael in his idea of family and commitment. The harsh environment also kept Michael from attending school, and the times he did there was no support for him to even try in school.
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.
An Analysis of the Roles of Different People on Michael Oher in The Blind Side
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
He has his own driver’s license, which indicates a big change in his teenage life having the ability to drive. Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy have signed the official documents that state them as Michael’s legal guardian. He then gets his own room, bed, and home, which he never had in his life before. He even got a new car, which made him feel not only happy, but also part of a something he never had: a family.
The movie The Blind Side was released in 2009. It is about a young man, named Michael Oher, who grew up in a poor environment. In the beginning of the movie, Michael was homeless and not currently attending school. All of that changed when a woman, named Leigh Anne Tuohy, offered Michael the chance to stay with her and her family. The Tuohy family was well off, unlike Michael, so it was an adjustment for both the family and him to live together. However, the family was very warm and welcoming to Michael, which differed from many of the other people Michael encountered. In the movie, Michael experienced racism, discrimination, and prejudice towards him from a variety of people.
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
Starting in chapter four, “The Blank Slate”, Michael Oher moves to Briarcrest High School, a wealthy private school. He no longer lives in the slum or poverty stricken neighborhoods he once lived. Now he’s having a human experience, away from the monotony and struggles of a kid from the ghetto. Being as such, he has a tough time adjusting, lacking a base of knowledge of how anything works. For example, when Oher gets
On a Friday night, Mary asked, "Girls, what movie should we watch? The Blind Side or Soul Surfer?" Replied Sarah, "Both are similar!" Alisha responded with disavow, "No, they're two different films." The Blind Side and Soul Surfer are both Hollywood movies that are based on actual events that had happened to Michael Oher and Bethany Hamilton during their teenage years. Furthermore, "The Blind Side" is a 2009 American biographical sports film directed by John Lee Hancock and based on the 2006 book "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis, which describes the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless teenager who was able to overcome great obstacles in order to become a first round draft pick in the NFL. Whereas "Soul Surfer" is a 2011 American autobiographical
At the time Oher was a senior in high school. His mother, Denise Oher, was always on crack cocaine, at times Denise would tell Michael to close his eyes so she can put a drug in her body. Later, Oher was taken by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. At the time, Oher was seventeen and soon the Tuohy´s were his legal guardians. Sean and Leigh both write books and does motivational speaking. The Tuohy’s have two sons and a daughter including Michael. They both attend ‘Briarcrest Christian School’. Leigh Tuohy had an interview and she stated, ¨I love Michael Oher as much as I love my two biological children. There's no difference between them.¨ (Peters). The Tuohy’s are able to provide very much of everything Oher has needed. For example, love, a home, family, and support. “If you know where your next meal is coming from, are you not poor.” ("Michael Oher Biography." TheFamousPeople.com).
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 main character Micheal Oher’s, who is introduced to us through his rough life growing up. Micheal never knew his father and his mother was a drug addict. HIs mother gave birth to a total of fifteen children, who of course due to her drug addiction raised themselves basically. Michael spent his teenage years running away from a string of foster homes and situations. Michael got tired of foster care
“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