in, The, of Adolescent Identity Development in The Main Character of Lady Bird Film

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the adolescent identity development in the main character of Lady Bird. To support the analysis, the writer is using the identity status theory from James Marcia. The writer employs qualitative methods with descriptive analysis in this research. The result shows that Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson undergoes five stages of identity status, which are foreclosure, moratorium, identity achievement, second moratorium, and second identity achievement. In the foreclosure, Lady Bird’s academic life was intervened by her overbearing mother. In moratorium, Lady Bird manages to pursue educational choices and question her cultural origin. In identity achievement, Lady Bird pursued higher education. In the second moratorium and second identity achievement, Lady Bird is longing for her home, until she finally embraces her family and her origin as a girl from Sacramento. As an adolescent transitioning to adulthood, Lady Bird has gone through complex identity development by exploring her educational choices and questioning where she belongs. Further proving that adolescents can have different aspects of their identity that could take them in different life directions.