Bender is a criminal and a pot smoking punk.Andrew is the classic jock; his sport of choice is wrestling.Claire loves shopping!Brian has all the brains; nothing could ruin his GPA.Allisonwell Allison is a basket case.These five teens form The Breakfast Club.This is the self named group that have to spend their Saturday together because they all have detention.Bender is in the group because he is always in detention on Saturdays.Andrew is in because he thought it would be funny to tape a kids ass cheeks together.claire couldnt miss out on a sale, so she cut school to go shopping.Now she must miss shopping to sit in school.Brian is forced to go to school on Saturday because he thought it Would be a smart idea to bringa flair gun to school.He planned on shooting himselt with it because he failed a shop project, ruining his pertect GPAIAIson is a good edition to the group simply because she has nothing better to do. The Breakfast Club explores teenage life through the interactions of these five characters.The characters discuss each others sex lives and thoughts on virginity and homosexuality.Although The Breakfast Club was released in 1986, it is still relevant and popular today.
The characters struggle with sexual desire and insecurity, which is no different from the teenagers of my generation. The topic of sex is quickly brought to the forefront of the groups discussion with one of Benders vulgar and entertaining comments,..why don’t you go close that door.We’ll get the prom queen–impregnated!tension rises as Andrew begins to argue with Bender over his obnoxious comments and later about school activities and competition.Andrew, the wrestler, retorts to this by saying, Well you wouldn’t know anything about it, faggot! You never competed in your whole life!Then Bender sarcastically responds, Oh, I know..I feel all empty inside because of it.I have such a deep admiration for guys that roll around on the floor with other guys!This is a clear example of where a controversy begins over something unrelated to sex but quickly turns into a sexual interrogation because sexuality is the Achilles heel of a teenagers identity.It is easily seen by Andrews reaction that he isnt happy with being called a faggot and the suggestion that he would deviate from normal heterosexual behavior is insulting and intlammatory. Ihis kind f exchange is common in any teenage environment where a few rude comments quickly degenerate to an assault on a persons sexuality.
The jousting continues as the characters move from slurs about sexual orientation to sexual inexperience.Bender accuses Brian of being a virgin by caling him a cherry.Brian vehemently denies this accusation statung that he nas been laid lots a time by a giri (they wouldnt know) wh0 Ives in Niagara Falls. Bender pressed the issue by asking if he had any closer conquests.Brian motioned to Claire whose back was turned to them.claire became indignant when she realized she was the topic of their conversation and confronted Brian.An exasperated Brian confesses, Excuse me for being a Virgin.Im sorry.Claire asks Brian why he is embarrassed to be a virgin and he responds, Because it is my personal private business.
Bender retorts, Well Brian, it doesnt sound Iike youre doing any business.Claire steps in with some support, I think it is okay for a guy to be a virgin but none of the guys seem to be convinced.Brian accepts being classified as a brainy nerd, but he is clearly humiliated to be seen as a cherry. As the movie progresses the conversation turns to the girls sexual exploits.Alison begins by retelling a bizarre experience she had with her shrink.she claims to be a nymphomaniac who has done everything possible inside the law.Andrew wants to know the shrinks reaction.Alison replies, He nailed me.After hearing more of this story, Claire is clearly shocked and asks Are you crazy? The conversation continues
ALLISON (to Claire) Have you ever done CLAIRE don’t even have a psychiatrist..
ALLISON Have you ever done it with a normal person?
CLAIRE Now, didn’t we already cover this? ‘
BENDER You never answered the question…
CLAIRE Look, I’m not gonna discuss my private life with total strangers.
ALLISON It’s kind of a double-edged sword, isn’t it?’
CLAIRE A what?
ALLISON Well, if you say you haven’t..you’re a prude.lf you say you have…you’re a slut! It’s a trap. You want to but you cant but when you do you wish you didn’t, right?
CLAIRE Wrong.
ALLISON Or, are you a tease ?
ANDREW She’s a tease.
CLAIRE Oh why don’t you just forget it..
ANDREN You’re a tease and you know it, all girls are teases!
BENDER (to Andrew) She’s only a tease if what she does gets you hot..
CLAIRE I don’t do anything!
ALLISON That’s why you’re a tease…
This exchange sums up most of the groups thoughts and feelings on sexuality. The actors facial expressions demonstrate that perhaps they are in agreement as this scene ends in silence.Allison introduces the idea that sex is a double edged sword.This means that it Cuts both ways and it is hard to be safe from its reach.If a teenager, especially a teenage girl, has had sex she is thought of as being easy and a slut.if she has not had sex she is thought of as a prude and uptight.claire quicklyy denies these classifications only to be further questioned by Allison, Are you a tease?A tease is one who plays a game pretending to be more sexually active then they are.They may participate in foreplay, but never intercourse, stringing their partners along allowing them to think sex is imminent Its just a matter of time.Andrew opens a new debate by stating that all girls are teases.Although he finds little support for his generalization, most agree that Claire is a tease. claire, of course, objects.The debate continues With all eyes on Claire.
It is Claires turn to answer the question: are you a virgin?She screams, NO! I never did it!Silence follows, then Allison joins the virgin bandwagon. Allison confesses she is not a nymphomaniac just a compulsive liar.Claires agitation with Alison is heightened causing the group to resort to laughter, which eventually calms Claire down.This discussion shows how difficult it is for teenagers to honestly admit to their true sexual activity.Not wanting to be stereotyped as a tease, slut, virgin or other sexual label, Claire unsuccessfully attempts to avoid the question.Eventualy answering the question honestly has no adverse consequences tor Claire. None of her new found friends hold it against Claire that she is a virgin and at some level she is probably relieved by revealing her secret.
As the characters begin to discuss their sexual lives honestly a common ground is found. Three out of the five characters have admitted to being virgins (Brian, Claire, and Allison) and the reaming two (Andrew and Bender) have not condemned the virgins. Ihe fact that the discussion is honest is more important than the secrets revealed. The group grapples with their insecurities, they also complain about their parents, some with good cause.Benders tather is abusive.Brian and Andrew are pressured by their parents to excel, Brian as a student; Andrew as an athlete. Claires parents are using her as a pawn in their unhappy marriage. Meanwhile Allisons parents ignore her.As this scene continues, the group wonders out loud f they are becoming their parents.They adamantly say no way! But Alison states, Its inevitable as everyone grows up.lt is interesting that wnile they all want to be perceived as sexualy mature, they do not want to be seen as adults especially as their parents. One of the lessons that could come out of The Breakfast Club for teenagers today is the eventual importance of honest peer dialogue.Many teenagers dont feel comfortable with having discussions about sex and sexuality with their parents, doctors, or teachers.they have a better chance feeling comfortable with each other.When a group of teenagers have these conversations they become closer to each other and closer to understanding their own sexuality.
The Breakfast Club acts as a model for creating an effective group dialogue among diverse teenagers.This paper was opened describing a variety of students the athlete, the shopper, the brain, the criminal, and the asket case. As the story develops, the group goes from bravado, each member implying that they are tougher, Ccooler and more sexually experienced than they actually are, to mutual shame.They are less concerned about letting each other know their school problems and family issues than admitting to sexual inexperience. They equate being a virgin to still being an innocent child. Alison refers to sexual experience as a double edged sword.There is a blurred line to having the correct reputation.That is, you do not want to be labeled a virgin, a homosexual, a nymphomaniac, or other sexual stereotype.
Defining your sexual identity is no easy task. The Breakfast Club never defines howa teens sexuality should be defined, however, at the end of the movie it is clear that everyone is more comfortable with their own sexuality.They have stopped challenging each others sexuality and have become friends. The movie shows that stereotypes are never accurate and that a persons sexual behavior doesnt define him or her.The students labeled each other: JOCK, criminal, shopper, Dasket case, brain, prom queen, cherry, and tease.by the end of their continement, they realize they are much more alike then they initially believed, as each has family problems and insecurities.Thiss realization enables them to bond with each other making the labels irrelevant.Everyone is nowa person.
Each character begins as a stereotype, but through their shared experiences in a Saturday detention, they become real people to each other.This shows that they no longer harbor prejudice based on preconceived ideas, and this allows them to realize that they actually like each other. Because they are more comfortable, they are secure enough to express their romantic interests. In the end, Bender and Claire share a romantic kiss, as do Andrew and Alison. Brian, the only member not to hook up, becomes the group scribe and completes the mandatory essay: Who am 1?You believe that as each member approaches adulthood and sexual intimacy, they are getting a little closer to the answe.
