Identity In Juno
Juno is a 16 year old white female currently in high school. She is the oldest of two children in her family headed by her father and step-mother, who she does not see very often. This is problematic because the family is “one of the core relationships in their lives and dissolves the family structure they depend on for secure development” (Ashford & LeCroy, 2008, p. 403). At the beginning of the movie, she seems content with her station in life and in school. She looks to a boy named Paulie Bleeker to help her feel wanted. This interaction highlights the fact that Juno values her relationship with Paulie, and is concerned when she realizes she is pregnant with his child, because this may ruin their relationship. As an adolescent, Juno values
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role confusion. Juno struggles to establish her own personal identity and lifestyle; she only has her best friend Leah for help in this process (Ashford et al., 2008). Juno’s decision- making skills are not mature yet—typical for adolescent development—which makes her more impressionable and impulsive (Ashford et al., 2008). In the film, Juno makes poor decisions regarding her hormonal impulses. If she were able to communicate with her parents more, she may be more successful in not having to find love in boys. Since Juno’s brain has had time to develop, she has an opportunity to make decisions in more abstract and hypothetical way. Ashford and Lecroy discuss formal operational thinking during adolescence, and Juno seems to be assimilation during the movie. Ashford and Lecroy describe assimilation as consolidating new information with old information, in order to make a decision (p.429). Juno expresses assimilation when attending the local women’s clinic with the decision to have her baby aborted. She decides not to go through with it when her friend mentions how her baby already has fingernails, this new information along with her emotional attachment with this baby, made her choose the path of
role confusion. Juno struggles to establish her own personal identity and lifestyle; she only has her best friend Leah for help in this process (Ashford et al., 2008). Juno’s decision- making skills are not mature yet—typical for adolescent development—which makes her more impressionable and impulsive (Ashford et al., 2008). In the film, Juno makes poor decisions regarding her hormonal impulses. If she were able to communicate with her parents more, she may be more successful in not having to find love in boys. Since Juno’s brain has had time to develop, she has an opportunity to make decisions in more abstract and hypothetical way. Ashford and Lecroy discuss formal operational thinking during adolescence, and Juno seems to be assimilation during the movie. Ashford and Lecroy describe assimilation as consolidating new information with old information, in order to make a decision (p.429). Juno expresses assimilation when attending the local women’s clinic with the decision to have her baby aborted. She decides not to go through with it when her friend mentions how her baby already has fingernails, this new information along with her emotional attachment with this baby, made her choose the path of