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Characters On The Couch

How a psychologist thinks about your favorite Film & TV characters.

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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) How A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over & Destroys A Child's Soul

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over
& Destroys A Child’s Soul

September 23, 2020 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

A narcissistic mother uses her children. She controls them, starves them of love. In John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate (1962), that’s Eleanor Shaw Iselin, Mother of lead character Raymond Shaw. Raymond is deeply convinced: “I’m not lovable.” No wonder he has enough hate to be brainwashed to kill. “Yes, Mother,” “Yes, Ma’am, and “Yes, Sir” govern …

Read moreTHE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over
& Destroys A Child’s Soul

Inspiration

“We come to Film and TV to find our hidden stories. If we look deeply into a character’s psyche, there is much to see about ourselves.”

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