Essay Compare and Contrast

Submitted By atansey
Words: 859
Pages: 4

A Comparison of John and Allison In John Hughes’ 1984 film, The Breakfast Club, five teenagers spend a Saturday together serving detention in the library of a Chicago high school. As the day passes, the five students who all appear to live in completely different worlds with completely different lives learn that they have much more in common than they would have ever imagined. The Breakfast Club effectively displays the struggles and conflicts that all students inevitably go through throughout their four years of high school. The movie shows how Andrew “the Jock” Clark, Allison “the Basket Case” Reynolds, Brian “the Brain” Johnson, Claire “the Princess” Standish, and John “the Rebel” Bender deal with each other during detention and how two students who initially seem to have nothing in common, find out that they share more similarities then they would like to admit, John and Allison. Throughout the movie, all of the students eventually open up about their social secrets and home life. After John spends the majority of his time taunting Brian about his home life, Andrew confronts John to tell the truth of his own home life. The hatred, violence, anger and embarrassment that John shows throughout a series of outbursts frightens the other students a bit. Claire, the princess, displays her need to be wanted and sympathetic mentality by sympathizing with John. This compassion sets the stage for feelings to develop between the two of them. Allison also lunges at the opportunity to share the secrets about her home life. She confesses to Andrew, the jock, that her parents consistently ignore her. The one-on-one conversations allowed Andrew to show a softer, more understanding side, as well as provide Allison with someone that she can talk to and confine in. Both Allison and John are perceived as outcasts, castaways or outlaws from the start. In the beginning of the movie, Allison rarely speaks to anyone, excluding herself. However; as the movie progresses, Allison’s shyness decreases. She eventually leaps at the opportunity to empty out what is inside her purse, and how she carries extra clothing and necessities in the purse in case she decides to run away, initiating a extensively in depth conversation between her and Andrew. This conversation could be considered the start of their blossoming teenage infatuation with each other. After all characters shared their stories with each other and revealed a few secrets, Claire, in an attempt to become more personable and down-to-earth, takes Allison to the back to give her a makeover. As she walks out preppy perfect hair, light makeup and a white smile, the students barley recognize her. Andrew is completely taken aback and overwhelmed with emotions. Even though Allison is also considered an outcast, her form of awkwardness differs completely Johns.
John portrays himself as the bad guy whom does not have care in the world. This carelessness attracts Claire to him, and they share a few private and personal moments, along with numerous angry moments. John constantly tries to put himself in the spotlight. Eventually, he learns that although he remains in the spotlight, the majority of the attention is not in a good or positive light. John does not get along well with anyone from the start of the film, especially the principal. After many disagreements and incidents between each other, the principal