I'm Really Interested In The Path That Asa's Character Arc Is Headed. I Think It's Going To Be A Really

i'm really interested in the path that asa's character arc is headed. i think it's going to be a really pivotal one. it's going to force her to confront her self-concept and lack of self-esteem.as we know, asa is a character who has extremely low self esteem, has suicidal tendencies, lacks close friendships, and all around is disconnected from her peers.

now she is thrust into the spotlight with people finally respecting her and idolizing her proving that she indeed has value in this world. while she outwardly denies liking fame, i think deep down she really doesnt believe this. with fame, she has external validation to prove all of her notions of herself wrong. she's finally being and celebrated for who she is. she is even called beautiful and her accomplishments are affirmed by the media and society as well. she has coveted fame which so many people especially teenagers crave and desire.

many teenagers in our society often ones who are lonely and depressed yearn to be famous. they believe that being famous will make them happier and will solve all of their problems. (wanis, 2013). people with low self esteem tended to desire to be famous since they believe it would compensate for their vulnerabilities and perceived sense of inadequacy. they tend to fear who they are and are unsatisfied with their lives and fame seems to be the natural solution for that as it may help them overcome their feelings of self-worth (noser & zeigler-hill).

boys tend to believe that it will make them happy while girls are more likely to think that it will make them happier in school (wanis, 2013). tying this in with asa, she has mentioned that she has little desire to establish relationships with her classmates. deep down she probably she genuinely does. she is completely alone with no one who cares about her not even her parents. fame finally has given her this. people care about her. they like her. they notice her. her status in school has probably drastically changed because of this. she is probably no longer bullied because her classmates finally respect her and love her.

on this note, i immediately think of mean girls. cady heron is a social outcast in her new school. she eventually is able to rise in the social hierarchy and insert herself into the plastics who hold influence and power in the school. she eventually becomes just as self-centered and egotistical as them, losing herself to popularity. this form of social influence and power genuinely does corrupt. when you go from a nobody to a person who is noticed and valued, it does something to you. you lose yourself, your self-concept changes. as professor of psychology mitch prinstein states regarding popularity, teens "become almost addicted to any type of attention from peers" (kris, 2017)

for someone like asa, someone with little self-esteem, the external validation will fill temporarily fill the void of loneliness, depression, isolation, lack of appreciation, and purpose but this is nothing without a sense of internal validation. you are forever chasing that high of being appreciated all the while not loving yourself. external validation cannot fill this void. you will be empty and hollow relying on people's words to uplift you.

and we can see with denji who is forever chasing that high of being chainsaw man. without it, he feels like he is nothing. he is aimless because in the end he doesn't value himself. there is no fake it until you make it even with fame. when that fame goes away, you are left with nothing but yourself. at the end of the day, you are the only one capable of uplifting yourself.

references

Patrick Wanis

Teen Loneliness, Low Self-Esteem and the Desire for Fame ~ Patrick Wanis

In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to share the findings of a study which reveals the link between teenage low self-esteem, lon

KQED

Being Popular: Why it Consumes Teens and Continues to Affect Adults | KQED

The kinds of popularity adolescents and teens experience can affect the relationships they have later as adults, according to Mitch Prinstei