Running Head: Analysis of Precious the Movie 1

Analysis of "Precious"

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Analysis of Precious the Movie 2

Analysis of "Precious"

The movie Precious comprises Claireece 'Precious' Jones – the main character, who has

been sexually abused by her father and is constantly abused by her mother at a young age.

Finally, at the age of sixteen, she gets ejected from her junior high because she was pregnant

with her second child. It is because her father raped her, making her conceive again. However,

Precious's school counselor made it possible for her to join an alternative school to get her GED.

Fortunately, at the alternative school, Precious became closer to her peers and class teacher.

Upon birthing her baby, she narrated her story to the welfare office, which led to her mother

threatening her life and leaving (Crémieux, 2013). Later, her teacher helped her get placed

halfway home alongside her newborn son and slowly builds her confidence.

To make it inhumane, Precious feels isolated, and her mother exploits her children into

getting welfare benefits while constantly abusing her in the process. Some of the factors

contributing to her lived experiences are surrounded closely by family, educational, social, and

economic features. Familial factors included her mother's mental abuse, where she referred to

her as a "fat pig" and resent her and blames her for taking her husband from her. Mary (Precious;

mother) says, "Uppity now cause he gives her more children than he did me" (Crémieux, 2013).

Precious also faces physical abuse from her mother when she occasionally beats her, claiming she

was becoming tough-headed and disobeying her orders. It negatively affects her self-appreciation

and sense of self-worth. Moreover, she painfully experiences sexual abuse from her father while

her mother does nothing to protect her from such incidences.

Educational factors come into play while at her previous junior high when her classmates

ridicule her because of her weight and physical appearance, limiting her social interactions and
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keeping to herself. Further, she is expelled from school because of her pregnancy at a younger age.

I believe that it was meant to prevent her interaction with her peers and negatively impact their

behavior and attitudes, which further makes her feel worthless and unwanted. Some of the social

influences are noticed in her neighborhood when bullied and harassed by boys around the

neighborhood because of her physique and making sexual gestures. The economic factors are

evident from the nature of their neighborhood, considering they stay in the projects, an area

majorly inhabited by poor and economically disadvantaged families. The nature of their poverty

contributes to her mother (Mary) taking advantage of Precious's child welfare benefits. It also

contributes to the nature of negative experiences the main character faces from school to her

neighborhood.

The movie displays how all these factors interact to influence Precious's experiences in

various ways. Her mother's actions, behavior, and abuse nature made her feel unworthy and

valueless, constantly questioning why she was born into such a family. Even though she bravely

endures all this psychological and physical abuse from her mother and father, these actions

sometimes cause her to act in dishonorable ways, as displayed in the movie when she steals a

bucket of chicken. It indicates her believing everything her mother told her about her body and that

nobody would love her. Further, the social aspects elaborate on Precious's challenges in the

contemporary world where her beauty standards contrast her appearance. She believes she can only

acquire validation upon becoming famous and having a light-skinned boyfriend. Finally, the

economic and familial features interact when their poverty and economic status prompt Mary

(Precious' mother) to take advantage of her child welfare benefits frequently. Also, being

economically disadvantaged led to her involvement in the welfare agencies due to poor childhood

development, social development, child abuse, and conception at an early age.

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Under the educational system and child welfare, good and quality childhood care contribute

to children's better mental and physical development. Child abuse influences children's cognitive,

emotional, and social development (Mignon, 2016). Fortunately, in the movie, the welfare worker

understood the significance of early childhood development and academic programs, which

contributed to her seeking Precious's mother to determine the level of situations at home. The

education she receives at the alternative school enabled her to be surrounded by people sharing

similar experiences and care about her well-being. This empowered her to stand up to her mother

and finally face her abuser and take back her power as a mother and a daughter. It is evident when

she finally confronts her mother and stands up for herself and her daughter. Furthermore, education

and social aspects like positive and healthy social interactions with her peers contributed to her

shielding herself from abuse. Furthermore, her poverty background pushes her to pursue her

dreams of writing rich articles that recognize and even receive awards and monetary prizes, which

opens doors for success.

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References

Mignon, S. (2016). Child welfare in the United States: Challenges, policy, and practice. Springer

Publishing Company.

Crémieux, A. (2013). From Book to Film: Desire in Precious (Lee Daniels, 2009), adapted from

Push by Sapphire (1996). In Understanding Blackness through Performance (pp. 125-

140). Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137313805_8