In the movie “10 Cloverfield Lane” John Goodman is depicted as an insane, psychopathic fella. Despite Howard ‘the character played by John Goodman’ being shown as a mentally impaired being, he has a big heart and hence can be said to be kind. The way he accommodates Michelle in the bunker tends to her and feeds her shows unmatched kindness. In the aftermath of the accident, he goes out of his way to save her from the threat of mass chemical attacks lingering outside (Chang, 2016). However, doubt is also cast on whether the mass attacks exist or its just Howard’s apparent mental condition taking its toll. There comes the point when the going in the bunker is no longer smooth. The three, Howard, Michelle and Emmett become embroiled in a sort of disagreement and misunderstanding, and things threaten to spill over. The change in conditions makes Michelle contemplate leaving in spite of what may be lurking out there.
The change in Howard’s attitude (John Goodman) shows that he might after all not be completely sane. He was accommodative at first, but now he develops some animosity towards the same people he treated so kindly. As time passes, the true character of Howard is revealed. He might, after all, be a psychopath (Chang, 2016). There is the suspicion that he probably murdered a local woman. After an attempt to escape fails and Howard finds some of his tools missing, Emmett takes the blame and gets shot by Howard. When he learns of Michelle’s attempted escape’ he also tries to kill her. This shows that he is a murderer and the fact that he is willing to go to such extremes to keep her in the bunker shows some insanity. Forcefully detaining someone can be linked to psychopathy.
Psychotic disorders are illnesses that severely affect the mind such that one is unable to make a sound judgment, respond emotionally or behave appropriately, a condition known as ‘“ Schizophrenia.” The main symptoms of psychotic disorders are delusion and hallucinations (Miller, 2012). Delusions mean that one believes in something that is not the case. Hallucinations mean seeing, hearing or imagining things that do not exist. Howard was in a way experiencing delusion since he believed that Michelle and Emmett were plotting against him and that he had every right to detain Michelle. The delusion and change in behavior show that Howard was psychopathic.
Personality disorders mean that one does not know how to deal with others. One is not able to cope with the pressure and stress of everyday life and often blames others for his or her problems (Miller, 2012). Howard had personality disorders since he did not know how to handle Michelle and Emmett. When they attempted to find a way out of the bunker, rather than understand them and explain to them of the dangers outside, Howard sought to kill them. This shows inexperience in dealing with other people since murder should never be a solution.
Antisocial Personality Disorder refers to a condition whereby one does not care about the rights of others. The afflicted sees it as nothing to break the rules so as to satisfy their needs (Miller, 2012). Some cultures usually refer to this as psychopathy. People with such a condition have a tendency of thinking that they are always right and have a certain charm in their speech and lives that is so convincing. This is reflective of Howard in that, he at first is able to convince Michelle and Emmett that the condition out there is so terrible, and the safest place they can find is the bunker. Howard also feels that he has a right to shoot Emmett when he suspects some betrayal and thinks that Michelle should remain in the bunker no matter what.
In the assessment of psychopathy in criminal populations, there is a relationship between individual differences, remorse and criminal activity. Those convicted of far more treacherous offenses come out as less remorseful, meaning a variation in the degree of psychopathy between the inmates (Hare, 1980). Hence the conclusion, the extent of psychopathy in individuals varies with the level of criminal activity.
- Chang, J. (2016). Film Review: ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’. VARIETY. Retrieved 10 April 2017, from http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/10-cloverfield-lane-review-1201724874/
- Hare, R. (1980). A Research Scale for the Assessment of Psychopathy in Criminal Populations. RESEARCH GATE. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247150954_A_Research_Scale_for_the_Assessment_of_Psychopathy_in_Criminal_Populations
- Miller, L. (2012). CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY, NATURE, NURTURE, CULTURE (1st ed., pp. (pp. 121–134) , (pp. 160–179), (pp. 180–215). CHARLES C. THOMAS.PUBLISHER LTD.