Biological Changes

Adolescence is a period of biological, emotional and physical changes that brings about turmoil as well as peace; this helps shape an individual, and fulfill the transition from childhood to adulthood. The movie ‘ Sisterhood of the traveling pants’, helps portray these emotional conflicts, and changes by   capturing the lives of four adolescent friends, and the struggles they endure.   The movie starts with one of the characters, named Carmen, narrating the story of how the four friends met. All four friend’s mothers met at a pre natal aerobic class; where they all had similar due dates. Ever since their birth, the four of them have been best of friends. They shared each other ups and downs, despite their vast difference in characters. First one to be born was Bridget; she was considered wild and an amazing soccer player, who had recently lost her mother. The next one was Tibby, she was a rebel and also an aspiring videographer. Then there was Carmen, the writer, whose dad left home when she was very young. And finally, there was shy Lena, who was an artist. While on vacation, each of the three friends go through certain obstacles while separated from each other; it was in these trying times, that they used the pants as a form of comfort.   This movie captured and portrayed some of the fundamental characteristics and formal theories that adolescents go through such as autonomy and dependence on peers, Erickson’s theory of identity, peak of an individual’s creative talents and finally the loss of egocentrism.

Another example of autonomy was seen, when Bridget’s mom passed away. All three friends were there for her emotional support. Although Bridget seemed tough initially, she dealt with by suppressing it. It was only later on the movie that the suppressed feelings arose and she ended up confiding in her friends, instead of her father. Ryan and Lynch suggested that susceptibility to peer pressure is related to the security of attachment to parents.   Teens, who did...