This paper analyzes the personality development of Landon Carter, the fictional protagonist of the 2002 film A Walk to Remember, through the lens of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. Beginning with a synopsis of the film, the paper traces Landon's transformation from a self-centered, directionless teenager into a compassionate and goal-oriented young man. Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development — each defined by a central conflict and resolved through a corresponding virtue — serve as the analytical framework. The paper argues that Landon's relationship with Jamie Sullivan acts as the catalyst that forces him to confront and progress through critical developmental stages, ultimately producing a profound and lasting change in his ego, values, and life direction.
There are many stages of development, and the goal of this paper is to address them using the fictional character Landon Carter from A Walk to Remember (Shankman, 2002). The premise is that characters in fiction, as in real life, can grow and develop through their interactions with others. One of the best ways to determine how much growth a character has accomplished over the course of a novel or film is to consider where the character started and where he or she ended. Additionally, how that character moves from point A to point B in his or her development — and what took place to allow that movement — is equally significant. Characters who do not develop throughout the course of a story are generally overlooked by audiences, and if that character is a main character, it is very likely that the book or film will not be well received due to the lack of development.
Addressed here is Landon Carter and his character development in the film. However, it is not realistic to simply describe the movie and what Landon did or did not do during his time on screen. Character development is much more than that. A brief synopsis of the film will be provided, but the focus of this paper is the analysis of Landon and his personality development throughout the course of the movie. In order to analyze the character's development properly, the work of Erik Erikson will also be discussed. Erikson's theory of personality will then be used to take a careful look at Landon and how his ego changes over the course of the film.
In the film A Walk to Remember (Shankman, 2002), the main male character is Landon Carter. He is a popular boy in high school with many friends. He plays a prank and ends up in trouble, facing expulsion. Because he does not want to be expelled, he agrees to a punishment requiring mandatory participation in certain school activities. One of those activities is the drama club, where he ends up working closely with fellow student Jamie Sullivan (Shankman, 2002). He knows who Jamie is, but they are not friends. She is bookish and quiet, and not one of the popular girls. Landon struggles to learn his lines and turns to Jamie for help. They practice together after school, but it is clear that he is only using Jamie for her ability to help him prepare for the play. Around his friends he ignores her or treats her coldly (Shankman, 2002). Jamie is a devoted Christian and is never rude to anyone, so she simply allows Landon to treat her as he will in social settings. She does not hold a grudge, and she continues to help him learn his lines properly.
The more time he spends with her, the more he comes to care for her and to realize that the things he values may not be so important after all. Through the course of the play, Landon falls in love with Jamie (Shankman, 2002). He learns of her wish list and begins helping her accomplish all the things that are important to her. He also finds out that she has leukemia and that treatments are no longer working. He is deeply upset, and Jamie tells him she did not want him to know because she wanted to make the most of the time she had left — but then she fell in love with him. Jamie and Landon marry and have one wonderful summer together before the leukemia claims her (Shankman, 2002). In honoring Jamie's memory, Landon makes something of himself and sets out to accomplish all the things that matter to him, just as Jamie had done until the very end.
Erik Erikson was a Neo-Freudian thinker who studied the stages of development across the entire human lifespan. Many people termed him an "ego psychologist." He wanted to study people from birth to death and observe how development played out at each phase of life, which gave him a richer understanding of what mattered to people at different points in their development. Each stage of psychosocial development created by Erikson is marked by conflict (Wallerstein & Goldberger, 1998). As each stage is worked through, that conflict is resolved. Successful resolution results in the completion of that stage and the ability to move forward to the next. Each favorable outcome is called a virtue. Erikson's research also indicated that each life-stage challenge contained tension at both ends of a spectrum. A person working toward further personal development had to learn to hold both ends at once. When both "ends" were accepted and understood, the person was able to advance to the next stage (Wallerstein & Goldberger, 1998).
Eight stages were identified by Erikson: basic trust vs. basic mistrust; autonomy vs. shame; purpose — initiative vs. guilt; competence — industry vs. inferiority; fidelity — identity vs. role confusion; intimacy vs. isolation; generativity vs. stagnation; and ego integrity vs. despair (Wallerstein & Goldberger, 1998). While these stages are meant to be traveled through beginning at birth and extending into old age, individuals are sometimes delayed in one stage longer than average. Some people have difficulty completing certain stages, which makes it harder to move on to the next. In a sense, they are still holding onto an earlier stage, and until they can reconcile both ends of that stage they are not truly ready to progress.
Landon Carter begins his arc in the film as a popular high school student. Not much is known about his childhood, but he is estranged from his father. The film does not explore the reasons for this estrangement in depth (Shankman, 2002). The most important thing to note about Landon early on is that he knows he is popular and well-liked, and that social standing is the most significant thing in his life. His ego is wrapped up in who he is in relation to other people and in the things he finds valuable. When he decides to play a prank, he focuses on the excitement of it and the admiration he expects to receive from his friends (Shankman, 2002). He does not consider what could go wrong or whether anyone could be hurt. Landon is clearly operating under the assumption that he can do no wrong and that he is above consequences.
Viewed through the lens of Erikson's stages, Landon is very self-concerned and not particularly attentive to others. He has not yet let go of the belief that he is untouchable, and he has not yet grasped the idea that other people are significant or that their thoughts and feelings are as valid as his own. Erikson emphasized that personality is shaped from birth through adolescence and into adult life, and that it develops in distinct, sequential phases common to all people — shaped partly by genetics and partly by environment (Wallerstein & Goldberger, 1998). Landon's behavior at the film's outset places him in a stage that has not yet been fully resolved.
As Landon's prank backfires and he faces serious consequences, he begins to realize that his actions have real costs. That realization requires him to hold a stage of personality development at both ends simultaneously, as he comes to terms with the fact that he is not infallible. It is a turning point in his life, but a reluctant one — he is upset at being caught and at facing expulsion. For Erikson, stages can only be exited when a person has made peace with that stage and is ready to move forward (Wallerstein & Goldberger, 1998). Landon is not ready to change; he is simply compelled to do so. The changes he makes are not willingly chosen as part of his personal growth — they are externally imposed.
"Applying Erikson's stages to Landon's arc"
Shankman, A. (Director). (2002). A Walk to Remember [Film].
Wallerstein, R. S., & Goldberger, L. (1998). Ideas and identities: The life and work of Erik Erikson. International Universities Press.
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