Theories of Personalityand Cognitive Development

The moral development of Zack Mayo in the review of movie,

“An Officer and a Gentleman”

INTRODUCTION: This is my attempt to analyse the personality and personality development of the principal character in the movie, Zack Mayo, played by Richard Gere.

I have explored the personality and personality development of the hero in this movie by looking at certain aspects such as:

• Character traits and typology

• • Cultural and environmental influences

• Movie Synopsis

Two female friends who work in a factory in a small navy town in Washington fall in love with two navy officer candidates in the hope of finding love, marriage and a better life style. They are also looking to escape from their small town to some big city elsewhere through such marriage. One relationship, involving our hero, Zack Mayo, and one of the girls, Paula,

is successful. The other, involving Zack’s friend, Sid, and the other girl, Lynette, ends tragically. Zack is a slick street-wise young man who was raised by his itinerant, lusty sailor father after his mother’s suicide. He joins the Naval Academy to break away from his past and forge a new stable future for himself

What makes ZACK MAYO Tick!!!

This is my attempt to explain the personality of Zack Mayo by arbitrarily containing him in a typology bracket with reference to what is potrayed through the movie.

Criteria Characteristics that point to particular criteria for evaluation

Extrovert

trait • Zack is outgoing, gregarious, talkative, expressive, easy to get to know, congenial. He moves easily among the new recruits.

• Zack talks first, thinks later.

• His attention and energy is drawn more to the external world вЂ" to people, objects and things. He rides a Triump motorbike that is a special distinctive symbol, instead of driving an ordinary car like everyone else.

• He gets energy from being connected to the outside world. He is more alive, alert and dynamic in the outdoors and outdoor activity. In the classroom, he appears subdued, quieter.

• Zack makes a lot of eye contact with people he meets or is with, and this makes people comfortable with him. In the barracks, he looks at everyone in the eye as he also does with Paula later.

• He excels at tasks that involve taking a leadership role or accomplishing a target. We see him chasing the all-time record for the endurance and obstacle course.

• Reading, studying and writing involves a lot of introversion. His preference here is evident in the incident when he makes a deal with Sid to help him out in the theory class for aeronautics in an exchange.

• Zack probably overly focuses a preference for extroversion in order to escape from realising his own “Self”.

Sensing trait • Zack sees things as they are in the raw physical sense as he takes in information through his five senses. He can see details in things he observes. He has a heightened sense of hearing and smell. He can focus easily on the specifics necessary

• However, he is unable to “intuitively” guess that the “local boys” in the town pub (where Sid and Zack pick up Lynette and Paula), are jealous and out to thrash them.

• Yet, he can see solutions to practical, concrete problems. When Sid goes missing, Zack searches for him systematically. He goes to Paula and then to see Lynette. Next, he reasons that Sid might have gone to a motel. He also makes “The Tides Motel” top on his list as it is the one they have been to.

• He cannot fathom the pattern in Paula’s relationship with him, the growing affection she has for him, likewise, the developing feelings he has for her.

• He adopts an earlier similar strategy in separating from Paula during his survival training in the 11th week, not opting for a new way to handle this situation. Paula is not like other girls he has been out with before вЂ" he does not identify this at that point.

Storyline

The story begins with Zack waking up in the morning to see his father in bed with two prostitutes. He reminisces about his early childhood in Vietnam.

After his mother had committed suicide by overdosing, he was

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