The Movie White Oleander

The movie White Oleander is about a girl named Astrid who is a teenage girl who lives with her young attractive mother. Her mother is named Ingrid and is a free spirited artist who doesn't believe in god. She sees herself stronger and tries to live a simple life. She is a very sexual person and teaches Astrid that it's ok to have sex with guys but you can't become attached or be dependent on a man. But Astrid's life began to change when her mother starts to falls in love with a man named Barry. At first Ingrid felt that Barry was unworthy of her. But eventually Barry made Ingrid fall in love with him and started spending a lot of time with her. But out of nowhere he drops her and tells her he is about to go on a date. Ingrid goes crazy over this and eventually kills Barry which leads to her being sent to prison and Astrid sent to foster care. Astrid kept getting adopted by families and no matter where she went trouble and disaster seemed to follow her. Her first foster family was with a lady named Starr who an ex-stripper and alcoholic. She is a strong believer Christianity but her lifestyle and the way she presents herself suggest otherwise. As Astrid gets a little bit older, she finds herself falling in love with Starr's boyfriend, Ray. Eventually they cross over the line and start a sexual relationship which Starr notices which causes her to go and start drinking again. Finally, everything ends when Starr shoots Astrid and runs away. After being shot by her first foster family, Astrid continues to be placed in different foster homes where she keeps experiencing drama from her foster family and from her mother in prison. The effects of all this stuff leaves Astrid with a lot of mental issues that need to be addressed.

The author purpose for writing the book was to show a kid dealing with the Autonomy vs Shame and Guilt stage of her life. Striving for autonomy, any young adult must find a fine balance between loving their parent and being able to gain independence from them as well. With not knowing who her father is and the way her mother raised her prior to being separated when she went to prison. Astrid has been struggling to find love and security in her life. With everything that happen with all her foster parents it's hard for Astrid to maintain relationships and know how to act when someone shows her love, especially with older men.

Looking at some of the characters in the movie there is a few who show Psychological disorders. Ingrid shows she has Narcissistic Personality Disorder throughout the movie due to her cold hearted ways. An example is when Ingrid says to Astrid, "I'm the only person that can keep you honest" (White Oleander). Ingrid feels that only she is capable of raising Astrid to become a good person, and that no one else is capable of doing that job. Ingrid feels that she is above everyone else, and that no one can control or stop her. We see her breaking the law several times, all of these times she fails to find her self-guilty for what she has done. She thinks very highly of herself and her daughter and thinks that because of their beauty that they can get away with a lot of stuff because they are above everyone else. Another character who shows a personality disorder is Claire. Claire relationship with Astrid is strong in the movie until her husband returns home. Claire takes Astrid out for new clothes, enrolls her in art classes, and provides her with a comfortable new bedroom. As Astrid's stay with Claire progresses, it becomes evident that Claire is battling depression. Claire has feelings of worthlessness and guilt in regard to her marriage. She thinks

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