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On Golden Pond

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Mark Rydell’s “On Golden Pond” is a drama that emphasizes the stages people of various ages endures. Utilizing Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages as learned in Dr. Malone’s class, each of the main characters can be placed within a stage and their age-related crises analyzed. As this film is a drama, it was relatable to the audience, prompting personal reactions as well as implementing life examples of some of the theories studied in Malone’s class. Perhaps the most significant character, Norman Thayer is a force to be reckoned with. A grumpy old miser, Norman may appear at times to not fully be capable of taking care of himself; however, he is still very sharp. Norman demonstrates Erikson’s last stage, termed Late Adulthood, which …show more content…

As beautiful as life is, it can be hard to watch someone get older. When our bodies do not work the way they used to, people feel betrayed. I grew very close to some of my customers and when one of them was sent to a retirement home so he could be cared for it was very sad. However, now thinking about this was the best decision to make. Ethel Thayer also is in Erikson’s psychosocial stage Late Adulthood, dealing with the crisis of integrity versus despair. Unlike Norman, Ethel is very satisfied with her life and what the audience sees is a woman of integrity. For sometime I thought Ethel might still be in the stage of middle adulthood, but instead I think she is just a very well-adjusted older woman. Ethel likes nothing more to be outside collecting strawberries or watching the loons. Ethel makes strong attempts to ensure her loved ones are satisfied with their own lives. She has a hard time understanding why Norman and Chelsea cannot be as satisfied and reprimands both of them. In a dramatic confrontation, Ethel points out to Chelsea that regretting childhood events “doesn’t have to ruin your life”. Although she may not be as grumpy as her husband, Ethel worries about death jut as he does. Following Norman’s heat attack, both Norman and Ethel realize they have precious time left together. Ethel reminds me very much so of my maternal grandmother. Even Ethel and Norman’s relationship resembles my maternal

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