A Project By: Erica Banks for History of Mental Health (HIST. 471)
“Madness is a lot like gravity…all it takes is one little PUSH.”
The Joker, The Dark Knight (2008)
Throughout history, society has remained a prominent factor regarding the mental health of women. It is no surprise that its devastating effects upon the perceptions, mentalities, and emotions of women are a result of its ever-changing expectations. Regardless of how harmful it can be to the female body (ex. corsets, foot-binding, etc.), it is powerful enough to leave a permanent and everlasting imprint upon the psyches of women; reminding them of how they should behave, appear, or dress. In society’s perspective, women are similar to mannequins; dressed, altered, and displayed only for the satisfaction of others. Its provision of what “perfection” entails can have devastating effects, ultimately becoming another form of oppression for women to face.
In modern media, society’s negative effects have become more known and prominent. Movies, for instance, now aim to capture the slow but affective ways of how society infects the minds of women. One movie, in particular, provides a thorough and terrifying example how it manages to do so; Black Swan (2010), a psychological American horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky.
The film follows the main character, Nina, played by actress Natalie Portman, a ballerina who lives with her mother, Erica (he he), a former dancer. Nina dances for the New York City Ballet Company. After hearing that Thomas Leroy, the head of the ballet company, is holding auditions for the lead roles of Swan Lake; Odette, the elegant and pure White Swan, and Odile, the dark and mysterious Black Swan. Nina attempts to audition for the roles; however, according to Thomas, she is only capable of embodying Odette, and not Odile.
It is in this particular scene in which we see the first example of society negatively influencing Nina; Thomas shouts at her, telling Nina that she is only good enough at embodying Odette, but not Odile. Despite trying her best, Nina is not considered good enough for the role. Not being good enough; another negative influence in which society engraves into the minds of women When a woman does not live, behave, dress, etc., in accordance to what society deems as desirable, she is labeled as “not good enough”. This factor is especially prominent in society’s standards of weight and body size.
Later on, Nina is faced with a challenge; that challenge being Lily, a ballet dancer who attends the same dance company, whom also shares a strong resemblance to Nina. Throughout the movie, it is made clear that Lily represents another form of societal influence; the ability to play and sabotage the interactions of which women can develop with one another. Lily’s character is a physical representation of what Nina does not have, which includes, confidence, strength, and boldness. Because of this, Nina sees Lily as a form of competition; she can only embody Odette, but Lily can embody Odile as well. This creates a rather high and sacrificial standard; something in which society has continually established, especially throughout the twentieth century. The standards of which society sets can become harmful and require sacrifices (sleep, eating, money, etc.), ultimately making it even more dangerous and lethal to women’s mental health.
At this point in the movie, it is made clear that the societal pressure upon Nina has caused her to develop a sense of psychosis. Psychosis is typically defined as a “psychotic” state characterized by hallucinations or delusions in which an individual is unable to distinct from reality (Craig, pg. 1). As shown in the film, Nina is seen constantly running into hallucinations, specifically a doppelganger of herself.
As the movie continues, Nina’s psychosis begins to make itself more prominent; she slowly begins to lose contact with reality, consistently hallucinating and imagining scenarios that are not real. For example; Nina hallucinates a night experience with Lily, in which the two go out for drinks, in addition to witnessing Lily hovering over her in the bathtub. Nina’s hallucinations also tend to involve another version of herself; but more sinister. Nina’s hallucinations of herself symbolize how society has turned her into something akin of a monster; she has completely shifted from the shy, pure, and innocent figure from the beginning of the film. In one instance, when Nina’s mother, Erica, refuses to allow her to perform on stage due to its influence on her, Nina argues with her, and ultimately hurts her; shouting that she is the Swan Queen.
By the night of the performance, Nina’s psychosis is in full swing; she has completely transformed from her previous and innocent self (similar to the character of Odette), into a dark and corrupted figure (similar to the character of Odile). Whilst backstage turning into Odile, Nina hallucinates Lily again, who morphs into her doppelganger. Nina ends up murdering her doppelganger with a glass shard, stating that it is “her turn” to be in the spotlight. This scene in particular is a metaphor for Nina killing her old self in the process of achieving society’s standards and expectations; another consequence of society’s impact upon women’s minds.
After her performance, Nina goes backstage once more; only to find Lily alive and well. As she looks into the mirror, it is revealed that Nina has stabbed herself, rather than her doppelganger. At this point in the film, there lies another metaphor; Nina has harmed and destroyed herself in order to be perceived as perfect to society. Despite the continuous sacrifices, delusions, and mental strains, Nina has done everything in her power to be the perfect Swan Queen; regardless of how much harm she has done to others and herself. In the final scene of the movie, in which Nina is bleeding out after falling from the platform for the final act, Nina tells depicts how she felt perfect throughout the performance; how she herself was perfect. It is in this final scene in which we see the final example of the movie; the strive for perfection. The idea of perfection, which is consistently changed, is societal concept created to be unreachable; making those who wish to achieve it go to great lengths, ultimately losing or harming themselves throughout the process.
In conclusion, society can negatively affect the mental health of women through the implementation of “not good enough”, the establishment of ever-changing, unachievable and harmful standards, and consistently changing the definition of “perfection.” The character of Nina displays each and every one of these factors throughout Black Swan, in addition to developing psychosis, harming herself and others for the roles, and obtaining an entirely different persona for the beginning of the film.
Fin
Project Sources:
Castle, David J., John. McGrath, and Jayashri. Kulkarni. Women and Schizophrenia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Ebert, Roger. “Black Swan Movie Review & Film Summary (2010): Roger Ebert.” Black Swan movie review & film summary (2010) | Roger Ebert. Accessed November 3, 2021. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/black-swan-2010.
James, Susan Donaldson. “’Black Swan’: Psychiatrists Diagnose Ballerina’s Descent.” ABC News. ABC News Network, December 19, 2010. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Movies/black-swan-psychiatrists-diagnose-natalie-portmans-portrayal-psychosis/story?id=12436873.
Morgan, Craig, Kwame McKenzie, and Paul Fearon. Society and Psychosis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
(Image Credits are underneath each image in the captions)
P.S.: Since this project was quite depressing, I feel that I should also clarify something; YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE FOR ANYONE OR ANYTHING. “Perfect” is a societal concept; it is not something that is possible to achieve, and you could hurt yourself if you try to do so. Please love yourself; there is NO ONE else like you, and you are not require to become like anyone else. 
“Your body is imperfectly perfect, everyone wants what the other one’s working…”
– Melanie Martinez, Orange Juice, K-12.
