The daughter shows signs of conformity throughout the entire movie. The following scene (time = 3:35) shows how she has completely altered her appearance and general affect to look more like her foster sisters and new foster mother. She picked up both the habits of drinking and smoking in order to “fit in” with her new social group. She sold off the sentimental clothing she had left from her past homes because her new mother held no value in anything other than money.
The other situation where her extreme conformity is evident is in the MacLaren Children's Center when she becomes hard and cuts her hair to match the attitudes of the other young women in the center. This reaction may be the classic attitude one would have when approaching such a situation, either become so strong no one will hurt you or find the protection of someone who is strong. However, when you look at Astrid as she is in less stressful situations you can continue to see her conformity.
With Star’s family, she quickly started to dress like her foster mother and sister, which led to a change in her behavior from quiet to more flirtatious. In no other situations was she overly flirtatious with any male. During her time with Claire, she became very studious (not seen when she was with Ingrid) and caring.
Her time with Ingrid shows her lack of attention in school and a major focus on her art, exactly what her mother wanted out of her. Her art was the only constant through all of her foster homes, she altered almost all of her other behaviors to conform to her current environment.
For more information on Conformity, check out ChangingMinds.org
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Ingrid continues to exhibit traits of a histrionic female through the . As seen in the following clip (time = 0:40), Ingrid has a tendency to be extremely attention seeking, striving to make the world (or at least her own personal world) revolve completely around her. She does this throughout the movie as seen through the various flashbacks, even to the point of claiming her reason for being in prison was for being "strong and beautiful." Even while in prison, she brings the world in with her with her artwork, bringing her audience in to worship her when they should revile her.
In one of her final speeches (3:40) she says something extremely self involved, "you don't just walk away from me, I made you, I'm in your blood." In that moment, she does not think of anyone other than herself, she doesn't value anything outside of herself.
In the end, Ingrid overcomes her self absorbed, narcissistic and histrionic behavior and allows her daughter to live her life, the one moment where she moves above her issues in a single act of selflessness.
for more information on Histrionics, check out MentalHealth.com
note: header images created using photoshop, stock image provided by http://spicegirl.wordpress.com/
-Chris England
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