Beth Harmon Character Analysis in the Queens Gambit

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Problem Analysis
Psychoanalysis of the Problem
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Psychological disorders are a sensitive topic that requires careful presentation to the public. The most popular and efficient way of passing information in this digital era is through social media platforms and television shows. Most television shows and movies are now embracing the challenge of addressing mental illnesses through films and TV shows portraying characters with mental disorders. In this way, viewers get an insight into common and rare mental disorders, their causes, and how to seek help. This essay discusses and analyses the psychological disorders of Beth Harmon from the TV mini-series, The Queens Gambit using Freud and Erickson’s psychoanalytic theories.

The Queens Gambit is one of the fascinating period TV shows which portrays characters with psychological problems in the mid-1950s. The show takes place in Kentucky, the US, and Russia. In the story, Anya Taylor-Joy plays the role of Beth Harmons, who becomes an orphan at a very young age and is sent to a very strict orphanage (Scott, 2020). Beth’s mother dies in a car accident when she is still young, forcing her to grow up in a children’s home that gives the girls tranquilizing pills to calm their nerves.

In the orphanage, Beth meets Mr. Shaibel, a janitor who teaches her how to play chess. She starts practicing with the janitor until chess becomes her obsession, making her skip classes to play the game. The game also gives her sleepless nights where she either thinks of the moves or dreams of winning, marking the beginning of her obsessive disorder to play and win chess (Scott, 2020). Beth starts her chess competitions at 13 years old, where she wins most of her matches. This further increases her obsession for chess until other members of society start calling her mad for her chess prowess. Due to the trauma from losing a parent and her focus on winning chess, Beth battles with her inner demons throughout the TV series, portraying her insecurities, self-destructive behaviors, and self-loathing.

Problem Analysis

Beth’s character portrays a complex personality where she is a genius at playing chess which goes beyond societal expectations. While playing, Beth’s body language in the show displays distinct features of hyperactivity. Her hands and eyes move very quickly and skillfully that only keen observers can see her moves making her a rare expert in the game. Beth’s skill, dedication, and hyperactive ways while playing chess show how intelligent she is for her age. In the competitive field of chess, with men as the dominant gender, Beth wins many games, making her one of the greatest chess players of the time.

Apart from her skill and intellectual ability in playing chess, Beth shows obsessive characteristics toward the game, which becomes a part of her. Her obsession with the game drives depression in case of a lost game. Beth has issues in communicating and social interaction where she shows a lack of confidence and social awareness. During her interactions, she seems oblivious to the presence of other people and appears uncertain when responding, especially on issues concerning sex and interacting with the opposite gender. Beth is not open to sharing her houses and feelings with other people making her seem arrogant and self-possessed. Generally, Beth is not shy, but she has challenges communicating with others in her conscious mind. Also, Beth is hesitant in exploring new dynamics in her social life and only ventures into sexual relationships under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Beth suffers from childhood trauma due to her mother’s sudden death. The show does not show Beth’s childhood and her relationship with her parents, but the grief after a mother’s death may be challenging to overcome, mainly when one is still young. Dealing with childhood trauma can be difficult, but Beth finds ways of coping where playing chess is one of the ways of covering her loneliness. Beth also becomes a drug addict and misuses alcohol to deal with depression and trauma.

Psychoanalysis of the Problem

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of development, the ability to process information quickly comes from biological and social conflict, which drives an individual to master an ability to boost their sexual personality, such as their ego. Therefore, Beth’s ability to play and master the chess game results from a biological need to surpass the social expectations where she beats societal odds by winning against men in their domain. Hence, this did boost her ego as a girl in a man’s world. Freud’s analysis of addiction suggests that a person’s ID, the pleasure principle, is usually childlike and leads to impulsive and intuitive urges that need immediate gratification to cope, causing addiction to a particular substance (Solms, 2018). Therefore, Beth uses alcohol and substance abuse to cope with trauma and the loss of her mother by forgetting about the loss in her unconscious mind.

Since Beth’s childhood is unknown, an analysis of her inability to communicate and interact with others may be hard to obtain. In the show, Beth looks for her stepmother during her chase games which portrays her need for support and affection from a close relative or acquittance, indicating that she was close to her mother and still needs that closeness and affection. Considering Freud’s Psychosexual Theory of Development, Beth may have difficulties communicating with others and the opposite sex due to biological and social conflicts where the biological components surpass the social elements (Parkar & Behere, 2021). Thus, this makes her self-conscious around the opposite sex.

Consequently, Erickson’s psychodynamic theory suggests that a person’s abilities develop from social interactions rather than biological forces. Beth learns to play chess from the school’s janitor in the orphanage and practices the chess moves to perfection. Unlike Freud’s theory which suggests that Beth’s chess prowess comes from intelligence, Erickson’s theory implies that her chess mastery comes from continuous playing and practicing since Erickson attributes an individual’s behavior to their social surroundings (Solms, 2018). Therefore, Beth’s addiction results from the routine intake of tranquilizers at the orphanage rather than a way of obtaining pleasure, as Freud’s psychoanalysis theory suggests. Regarding Beth’s difficulties in communication and interacting with the opposite sex, Erickson’s psychoanalytic theory attributes it to Beth’s social surroundings while growing up in an all-girls orphanage limiting interactions with the opposite sex.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Queen’s Gambit is a story of self-discovery where Beth grows through high and low moments in developing her personality. Beth’s story portrays the effects of loss, drug abuse, and obsession, which may be fatal and create a permanent personality disorder. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory explains some of Beth’s characteristics, such as her obsession to win, which boosts Beth’s ego in the male territory as a psychosexual development of an individual ego. Alternatively, Erickson’s theory also explains Beth’s obsession with chess as a social influence since playing chess was the most popular competition in society in the 1950s. Both Erickson’s theory of personality development and Freud’s psychosexual theory explain Beth’s drug addiction, where the orphanage contributes to addiction through the oral intake of tranquilizers to calm the girls.

References

Parkar, S., & Behere, N. (2021). Demographic profile and presenting complaints of patients of psychosexual disorders: A study in a specialized psychosexual clinic of a tertiary care centre. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 3(2), 171-174. Web.

Scott, F. (2020). The Queens Gambit [DVD]. Hollywood; Flitcraft ltd & Wonderful Films.

Solms, M. L. (2018). The neurobiological underpinnings of psychoanalytic theory and therapy. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. Web.

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Beth Harmon Character Analysis in the Queens Gambit

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