Question

In thinking about modern movies, many of the main characters are on a quest for self-actualization and risk his or her life to achieve a higher-order goal. Please choose a recent movie that you believe fits this criterion and explain the process the main character goes through to reach self-actualization.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) According to Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy, self-actualisation only becomes the object of one’s pursuit when the “esteem” level is conquered. This would essentially mean that, once a person has garnered the respect of their peers and a respectable status in the society, they begin looking for something more.

In films, this is when that protagonist would generally realise that people’s opinions of them are not as essential as their perceptions of themselves. At this stage, the person would seek to build the reputation of their soul, which would not be brandished to their peers but bring peace to themselves.

In the film “Million Dollar Baby,” the female protagonist becomes an accomplished boxer and even manages to get her family out of poverty. She earns the respect of her coach, who she looks up to and the respect of fellow boxers. However, even though she has accomplished much in her life, she seeks to fight harder. This is when she is searching for something beyond the esteem that the world has conferred on her. In the process, the protagonist is even put on a critical stage in pursuit of self-actualisation.