Analysis of Good Will Hunting

Abstract

This paper will discuss this student's perception, study and analysis of the character Will Hunting, in the movie Good Will Hunting. (Affleck and Damon, 1997) It will share the results and conclusions about the character of Will Hunting reached by this author, citing the methods and theories used to reach said results and conclusions. The report will provide a brief overview of the character, a cultural description of the character, discuss the character's personality development from each personality theory's point of view and include socio-cultural influences, learning history influences, bio-genetic influences as well as explain the author's impressions of the main character, Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting, and why, finally, Will Hunting does indeed begin to think of himself as Good Will Hunting.

Personal Portrait: Will Hunting

Will Hunting - Overview

Will Hunting, at first glance, seems to be such an ordinary person, such an affable guy in the movie Good Will Hunting that at first, one wonders why he merited a character study. However, the movie Good Will Hunting proves the old adage of you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Will Hunting seems to be a stereotypical Southie, as those who come from South Boston are called. Will Hunting seemed to have all the Boston toughness, and he had friends - however, he did not give of himself in any gift of friendship. The only relation Will Hunting has to the stereotypical Southie is that he distrusts outsiders, he really does not have any hope or wish to leave South Boston, and he has the habits of all his South Boston friends. He is still friends with the people he grew up with, and seems to share their views on everything, either by laughing at comments they make - such as jokes Chuckie makes at the expense of Morgan - to even agreeing with Morgan's racist comment about "that fuckin Guinea" at the ballgame. However, this is all how Will Hunting seems, and not how he truly is inside.

We catch our first glimpse of Will's real personality and a hint of the influence in past abuse in this snippet of the film, when he states, "That fuckhead Carmine Scarpaglia? That kid used to beat the shit outta' me in kindergarten." (Affleck and Damon, 1997) A little later in the film, Will deliberately starts a fight that all become involved in, but in which Will gets so enraged he has to be dragged off Carmine, and is arrested. What is so frightening is Will's calm manner of getting Carmine's attention, and how he lured him into lowering his defenses. Will pleasantly called to Carmine, "Carmine! It's me! It's me, Will, remember? We went to kindergarten together. . . ." before he jumps on him and almost beats him to death. (Affleck, Damon, 1997) Will's abuser probably approached him that way many times, using friendliness to lure him in, and then he attacks him viciously. Will uses this tactic even on Chuckie, his best friend. When they are at the batting cages, and Will is pitching to Chuckie, Chuckie is seemingly bewildered by the fact that Will keeps trying to hit him with the baseball. Will tries to be joking, and to seem as though it is a big joke because Chuckie is crowding the plate, but it is an uncomfortable situation to watch Will try to hurt Chuckie, and to deliberately try to hit him for no reason. There is no excuse for it, as there is no excuse for the abuse that was done to Will.

That is another brief glimpse into the personality of Will that something does not quite fit the picture we have of him. There is more under the surface, and it is a little frightening. We do not yet know the extent of Will's problem, however, and as this student learned from watching the film Good Will Hunting, there is not one theory or method of treatment that one can apply as a cure all, or no immediate cure for whatever problem a client, or Will Hunting, might have. It is a combination of patience and of willingness to peel layer after layer of "skin" off the subject, and hoping not to damage the subject as one goes along.

As the movie Good Will Hunting progresses, we can focus on two separate issues that have direct bearing on Will Hunting's personality development, although one is emphasized much more than the other. First, there is "personal isolation and emotional damage that torment the hero in his peculiar life circumstances" (Beck, 1999, p. 26) and personality problems Will develops as a result of "the development of class conflict." (Beck, 1999, p. 26)

Socio- Cultural Influences

Will Hunting does develop problems because of class conflict in South Boston, if we pay attention to his age, 20 years old, and the time of the movie, 1997. Will would have been born during the violent times of South Boston, during a time of turmoil - personal turmoil for him as an orphan, turmoil for the town because of all the issues going on. Will was born right around the time the busing issues were taking place in South Boston - this was a bloody and violent time, and even lead to death for some South Boston citizens. South Boston citizens were opposed to integrated busing, and so Southies learned to stick together, and became bonded whether or not they wanted to. Will Hunting was born into violence and was raised in violence, and in looking at his and his friends activities, he continued in violence, although he probably did not notice it or give it much thought at all.

Historical experience

Will grew up in violence not only in his own home, or homes where he stayed, but grew up in violence in South Boston. When the judge in the courtroom cites records stating that Will was abused in his foster homes, we get a small glimpse into what his life must have been like as a foster child, growing up with violence both inside and outside the home. The judge also typifies Will's relationships with authority figures, in that he never received any sympathy or understanding for the abuse he went through in his foster homes, thus making him accept the abuse, and accept his role as abuser when he got the chance, like his physical abuse of those he fought, or his psychological abuse of the young graduate student in the bar when Chuckie was talking to Skylar and her friend. Will used his genius to mentally beat up the graduate student, and then later rubbed it in when he got Skylar's phone number, then made sure to flaunt the fact that he got the number to the young graduate student with whom he had the run in with in the other bar. Will had no idea how to deal with people, and no idea of how to feel anything but abused or what little