The Abusive Mother-Daughter Relationship in The Act the Series (2019)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/katakita.13.2.320-328Abstract
In this article, we analyze the abusive mother-daughter relationship in The Act (2019). The Act (2019) is a true crime drama series based on the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. The series tells the journey of Dee Dee’s physical and mental abuse, as well as her controlling behaviour toward Gypsy. In this analysis we focus on how Dee Dee treats Gypsy and why Gypsy responds to Dee Dee’s treatment in certain ways. We will use Nussbaum’s objectification theory to analyze Dee Dee’s treatment, and McClelland’s three social motive theory to explain Gypsy’s responses. The findings reveal that Dee Dee has the desire for power, recognition and wealth, while Gypsy has the need for independence and affiliation pushes her towards rebellious actions. This study concludes that a mother figure does have an impact on a child’s growth and development.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
