Why I chose Thor and Shame Theory

Originally, I had chosen Thor and Shame theory because of the one scene that stuck out in my head: when he is banished from Asgard. I thought it would be an easy paper since that scene is clearly a shame event. I decided to keep my film choice after I had re-watched Thor while having the shame theory knowledge I had gained through brief research. I was surprised at how many other shame events occur in the film, and how crucial they are to the characters in the film. I also was interested in doing shame theory because in our critical model packet, it says that shame events are so major because they control all other emotions, which I didn’t realize until I actually saw a shame event in the film and the reactions of the characters. 

Thor's character after experiencing shame

I thought that Thor’s experience with shame had definitely improved his character, which proved my thesis correct. He did display the script theory, and he did regain his pride back, but his pride was at a more reasonable, respectable level than before. By the end of the film, he wasn’t so arrogant, and his father told him that he had made him proud, and that he will be a great king one day. I think the shame in his banishment had eventually brought a sense of maturity to Thor’s character, which made his decisions on Earth more wise and helpful.

My feelings on shame theory

I am happy that I decided to do my paper based off of shame theory. I was interested in seeing how shame controls all of the other emotions humans have. I also enjoyed learning how a person’s character is not based off of the shame event itself, but mostly how they react to it. I wasn’t aware before that there are four scripts in shame theory that people use to cope with shame to gain back their pride: Avoidance, Withdrawal, Attack Other and Attack Self. I didn’t realize what an importance pride has in humans, and what depths we will go to in order to gain that pride back. 

Thor and the script theory

After watching Thor, I picked two of the scripts in the script theory that I thought he best displayed. I believe he definitely portrayed attack other. He wanted to attack the frost giants when they attack Asgard, and he blamed his father for his banishment rather than himself. I think he also displayed some avoidance. When he arrived on Earth, he acted as if he was still royalty, although no one on Earth knew who he was. He didn’t tell them of his banishment, and he referred to himself as “the son of the king” and “mighty.” I think Thor also had a great increase in emotional maturity throughout the film. 

What I Would Do Differently

If I would do something differently in my paper, it would be to further describe the importance of Loki witnessing each of Thor’s shame events. I briefly mentioned how Loki’s presence in Thor’s shame has a big impact, but I believe I could have gone more in detail. I also should have included more about my sources and shame theory, and less description of the film itself. I should have only used the film to back up my literature review instead of the opposite. I also could have included a stronger counter argument, and maybe stated other ways Thor resembles shame or maybe provide a thesis stating that he doesn’t experience shame. 

The End Result of My Analysis Paper

Honestly, I thought my final paper turned out well. I was a lot more interested in writing it when I began than I was about writing it in the beginning of the semester. I thought I tied my lit review in well with the analysis of the film Thor. Once I actually sat down and watched the film and really focused on the details, the research I had done before and the scenes and characters in the film started to come together, which was very exciting for me and I was eager to write my paper. I did put a lot of effort into this writing, and I believe it shows. 

Peer Review of my paper

I thought the peer review of the drafts of our paper were very helpful. It was nice to receive someone else’s perspective and get advice from them on how to make my paper better. They definitely picked up on some things in my paper that I didn’t notice or think to add. I also think getting someone else’s opinion on my paper was beneficial in the final writing process of my paper. I was able to see how someone else perceives my paper and if they could understand it. It was also helpful in seeing what I should add or change, or what I should take out.