A Psychological Evaluation of Djay in the Movie - Research Paper Example

?A psychological evaluation of Djay in the movie hustle and flow: Djay is the of the leading character in the critically acclaimed movie Hustle & Flow. He is introduced as a low-class pimp and drug dealer who attempts to balance his professional duties with personal dreams. He is not an average pimp who also sells drugs to earn a living. Instead, he has a tendency to think out of the box and dream big. This character is played by Terrence Howard with such intensity and honesty that the viewers are left spellbound at the depth which a simple character of a small-time hustler could hold. Throughout the movie, his personality unravels in a very interesting way giving something to think about. He has a strong urge to follow his dreams and get free from the clutches of a degrading lifestyle. This research paper will scrutinize Djay’s personality in reference to some major perspectives of personality psychology. Different psychological approaches will be utilized to dissect this character’s personality. It will help to know on what grounds the character of Djay has earned such recognition and attracted mass enthusiasm of a large audience. Certain momentous concepts from each perspective will be implemented on Djay to assess the extent to which the personality analysis presented in this essay could be considered decisive. By using a popular character from a well-known movie for shrewd analysis from complex angles, the discussion in this essay will emphasize the concrete usefulness of myriad theories of personality psychology in good interpretation of a person. It is speculated that the behaviorist perspective on personality plays a very influential role in interpreting a personality. It is stressed by leading behaviorists like Skinner and Pavlov that external or environmental forces play a steering and influential role for a person’s behavior. As a regular pimp with no professional experience in music whatsoever, just intently observing a famous Memphis rapper Skinny Black working his magic on television executes a lasting impression on Djay which suggests that Black’s powerful rap music in the form of a staggering environmental force goes on to govern Djay’s behavior and shapes what he aspires to become in the future. Research confirms that a person is influenced by his/her surroundings a lot and attempts to imitate what attracts him/her. Djay is clearly attracted to Black’s glitz and glam lifestyle and hopes to achieve the same status for himself because being a pimp is a huge reason of dissatisfaction for him. He is desperate to find an exit from the hopelessly gloomy life he is entrapped in and Black is a prominent external force in his surroundings which gives him some hope of change (Ebert, 2005). Black is definitely a huge inspiration for him. Now, behaviorist personality perspective considers people slaves to their environments given how they are absolutely possessed by them like Djay is in Hustle & Flow. It seems that the musical profession of rap/hip-hop music formed a persistent feature of Djay’s surrounding through childhood and teenage to adulthood as Black was actually his childhood friend separated from him over the years. Also, he himself has always had a big talent for writing lyrics to rap songs. So, these are the kind of things which were bound to affect the way he chose to behave in real life. In the movie, he is seen being frequently appreciated and encouraged by friends and others to pursue career in music. So, he begins to make good songs consistently as expected by others. Appreciation shown by others for his music is a kind of reward for him and research suggests that such reward structures in our surroundings “can produce consistencies in an individual’s behavior” (Friedman & Schustack, 2009, p. 204). Such consistencies can be easily observed in Djay’s personality also in the movie. Cognition also plays a central role in influencing personality and governs how various events or experiences are perceived and conceptualized by a person. It is essential to contemplate the cognitive concepts which form part of Djay’s personality to appreciate what kind of a person he really is and how he processes different feelings and challenges. After recording several songs, Djay is delighted and very hopeful when he hears of Black’s return to Memphis for some performance. He is so determined to make his dream come true despite arduous challenges of his real life that he gains entry to the party where Black is pretending to provide marijuana. Actually, he is a relentless struggler and aims to show Black his demo tape. This shows that Djay has a tendency to never give up regardless of what many hardships of real life may suggest. He has a wonderful sense of self-awareness and perception. On top of that, he also a strong and inflexible desire to reach his full potential by utilizing his talent for music. He would not take no for an answer and in the same way, he manages to persuade an initially skeptical Black into listening to his tape. All pimps and low-class hustlers have to deal with depressing losses and failures in lives, but what separates Djay from those people is how he perceives his losses in life. He does not let them overpower him dragging him to depression or violence, rather he uses them as a guide to not repeat them and follow his dreams. It seems like Djay is terribly afraid of sinking into anonymity as a pimp which is why he wants to earn a name for himself. It may be suggested by some that he is a character in denial because he refuses to accept the impossibility of the idea that he could become a star. Popularly recognized as a powerful defense mechanism, denial can both help and harm a person. It can be a feature of Djay’s personality, but he knows how to use it to his advantage. In Djay’s case, it seems denial is used to tighten grasp on his dreams of becoming a household name. He uses denial as a tool to not let himself fall to pieces by the things that try to break him in the movie. No obstacle or exhausting struggle in the movie becomes able to make Djay forget his dreams and this is mainly because of the fascinating way he uses the weapon of denial to his advantage throughout the movie. His consistent cognitive response to every hardship is that he can still do what he wants to do in life for real. Even in the end of the movie when he is imprisoned for attacking Black who disrespects his tape, we see Djay stay close to his passion for music as he listens to a demo tape of two prison guards and famously says, “everybody gotta have a dream” (cited in Scott, 2005). In conclusion, Djay’s personality is open to multiple interpretations on different levels because it has a lot of depth to it. The character is singularly intense and inspirational for many who can identify with it. Djay has a resolute desire to rise above his gloomy and depressing circumstances of life. He also stays true to his dreams throughout the movie from the time he realizes his potential to the end even when he is behind the bars. Various approaches can be implemented to better understand the complex patterns of Djay’s personality, but not one perspective on personality psychology can be considered decisive as every approach has something unique to offer. In the light of the analysis of Djay’s personality, it is safe to assume that it is really the blend of all perspectives that can ensure a personality to be effectively analyzed. References: Ebert, R. (2005, Jul 21). Hustle and Flow. Retrieved from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hustle-and-flow-2005 Friedman, H.S., & Schustack, M.W. (2009). Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon, Inc. Scott, A.O. (2005, Jul 22). A Pimp With a Heart Follows His Dream. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/22/movies/22hust.html?_r=0 Read More