September, 2025 - screenpsyche.com

Digital painting of Starlight from The Boys, symbolizing integrity, resistance, and moral courage against Vought’s corruption.

Character Development in The Boys’ Starlight: A Beacon of Integrity in a Corrupt World

Amazon Prime's The Boys flips the superhero genre on its head, exposing the dark underbelly of fame and power. At the center of this morally grey world is Starlight (Erin Moriarty), whose…

Screen Psyche September 19, 2025

Oil painting of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator, symbolizing revenge, grief, and resilience.

Film Character Analysis

Exploring the Psychology of Revenge in Gladiator

Introduction to Gladiator and Its Main Themes Released in 2000, Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, revitalized the epic historical drama genre. It is a tale steeped in themes of honor, betrayal,…

Screen Psyche September 18, 2025

A realistic oil painting showing multiple film and TV characters burdened with emotional labor, their faces and body language expressing exhaustion, resilience, and hidden strength, symbolizing the invisible emotional work in storytelling.

Psychological Concepts via Characters

The Invisible Burden: Emotional Labor as a Narrative Force

Understanding Emotional Labor: A Historical and Societal Perspective Emotional labor, a concept introduced by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild in her 1983 book The Managed Heart, describes the effort involved in managing…

Screen Psyche September 17, 2025

Oil painting of Peggy Olson from Mad Men symbolizing feminism, ambition, and breaking barriers in the 1960s workplace.

TV Character Analysis

Peggy Olson in Mad Men: A Symbol of Feminism and Ambition

In Matthew Weiner's acclaimed series Mad Men, Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) emerges as a powerful symbol of women's evolving roles in the 1960s. From secretary to copywriter at Sterling Cooper, her…

Screen Psyche September 15, 2025

An oil painting of Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic, symbolizing survival, guilt, resilience, and self-reinvention after the shipwreck.

Film Character Analysis

Titanic Rose’s Survival Story: Guilt, Resilience, and Self-Reinvention

In James Cameron's epic Titanic, Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) transcends the typical damsel-in-distress trope, emerging as a symbol of survival, resilience, and profound emotional depth. More than a tragic romance,…

Screen Psyche September 14, 2025

Oil painting-style digital artwork depicting characters from film and TV symbolizing collective trauma, grief, and resilience, with muted colors to convey emotional depth and invisible wounds.

Psychological Concepts via Characters

Collective Trauma in Film and TV: How Groups Carry Invisible Wounds

Explore the profound impact of collective trauma as portrayed in film and television, uncovering how groups carry invisible wounds across generations. Discover examples from popular series like "The Handmaid's Tale"…

Screen Psyche September 13, 2025

An oil painting of Yorkie and Kelly from Black Mirror’s San Junipero, embracing on a beach at sunset, symbolizing love, memory, and the digital afterlife.

TV Character Analysis

Exploring Love and Mortality in Black Mirror’s ‘San Junipero’: A Journey into the Digital Afterlife

‘San Junipero’ is the fourth episode of the third season of Charlie Brooker’s acclaimed anthology series, Black Mirror. Released in 2016, it stands out as one of the most poignant stories…

Screen Psyche September 12, 2025

Oil painting of Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind, symbolizing survival, narcissism, and emotional resilience during the Civil War and Reconstruction era.

Film Character Analysis

Psychological Themes in Gone with the Wind: Scarlett O’Hara’s Survival, Narcissism, and Emotional Adaptability

Scarlett O’Hara, one of American literature’s most iconic characters, embodies a complex interplay of survival instincts, narcissism, and emotional adaptability. Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, Gone with the Wind, uses the backdrop…

Screen Psyche September 11, 2025

Oil painting of iconic characters Walter White, Tony Stark, Cersei Lannister, and Frodo Baggins, symbolizing shame’s role in character design and storytelling.

Psychological Concepts via Characters

The Role of Shame in Character Design

Shame: a universal human emotion, a powerful narrative tool. It can erode a character's identity, drive them to extremes, or pave the path to redemption. This exploration delves into the…

Screen Psyche September 10, 2025

Oil painting of June Osborne from The Handmaid's Tale, symbolizing resistance, survival, and hope against oppression.

TV Character Analysis

June Character Analysis in The Handmaid’s Tale: Survival, Resistance, and the Weight of Hope

Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, "The Handmaid's Tale," remains strikingly relevant in today's world. The novel's exploration of women's rights, individual freedom, and totalitarian regimes resonates with contemporary concerns about authoritarianism,…

Screen Psyche September 9, 2025