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Analysis of Driving Miss Daisy

Linda Hansen

Ferris State University

Abstract

Driving Miss Daisy is a film that focuses on the life of Miss Daisy Werthan and her chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. The film spans a period of 25 years, from 1948 to 1975, in which much change took place in America. This paper serves to explore the sociological theories of aging related to the characters in the film and how they progress through those stages. Health-related quality of life indicators are discussed in relationship to the characters in the film. Ageism is also discussed and how these stereotypes affected the characters. This paper serves to explore the aging process and how people progress through the stages.

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Analysis of movie – Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy is a touching film that tells the story of two seemingly different people, Miss Daisy Werthan and Hoke Colburn. Miss Daisy and Hoke Colburn come from very different walks of life, but together they learn what they have in common and grow to forge a friendship that withstands the passing of time and challenges of aging.

Sociological Theories of Aging

There are many sociological theories of aging including activity, disengagement, continuity, age stratification, role, economic burden, social construction of dependency, critical gerontology, gerotranscendence and socioemotional selectivity theory. Only those that apply to this film will be discussed in detail.

One theory that could be applied to the characters in this film is the role theory which was developed in the 1940’s and focused on the roles that people play and how the loss of your “role” could promote an identity crisis (Michael & Rowe, 2004). Hoke recently lost his job as a chauffeur for a judge and was in need of work. Miss Daisy was no longer able to drive, so Hoke was hired by Miss Daisy’s son Boolie to be her chauffeur. Miss Daisy had been widowed for an unknown period of time but had difficulty adjusting to her loss of independence of not being able to drive. Hoke was determined to remain active in life. Both of their roles in life, at least more recent ones, were changing. This theory does not support the depth of change that take place throughout the aging process.

The disengagement theory, developed in the early 1960’s, states that older people should begin to bow out of social situations so the next generation can step in (Michael & Rowe, 2004). One part of this theory states that disengagement begins at widowhood for some women, but Miss Daisy was certainly active in social situations at this point in her life and not yet showing signs of disengaging. The disengagement theory is also said to be a way for the older person to begin to prepare for death as the person begins to withdraw from social contacts (Carstensen, 1992). This theory does not fit the changes that were happening in the lives of Hoke or Miss Daisy as they both remained socially active.

The activity theory shows that involvement in social networks helps to increase life satisfaction (Michael & Rowe, 2004). This theory also believes that the physical limitations of the older person are the reasons for decreased social interaction; psychologically, the person remains unchanged (Carstensen, 1992). Some studies have shown that having strong relationships during this phase of life will help with happiness and adjustment to the aging process (Carstensen, 1992). Miss Daisy certainly maintains many social contacts for quite some time. She plays a game called mahjong with a group of friends, attends temple worship services, shops for groceries and gets her hair done.

Not having a driver’s license made a serious impact on Miss Daisy’s life, and she was worried about being able to keep up with her social activities. She tried walking places and hiring a cab. Her friends offered to drive her but she hated losing her independence. Boolie hired a chauffeur, but Miss Daisy wanted to maintain her independence and control over decisions about what she wanted to do and when. Making sure that social support is intact is an important factor in helping the older population to cope with the challenges of aging and losing some physical abilities (Grossman & Lange, 2006). Boolie wanted to make sure that his mother was still able to do the things that she enjoyed and hired a chauffeur to achieve that goal.

It has been determined that participation in the form of activities of daily living and social activities such as church, recreation, and leisure time are important for a healthy well-being (Dahan-Oliel, Gelinas, and Mazer, 2008). Several articles have stated the benefits of an active social life on the health of an aging person.

Some studies have shown that having strong relationships during this phase of life will help with happiness and adjustment to the aging process (Carstensen, 1992). Setting and keeping goals is important to significance in life as well as maintaining healthy relationships (Grossman & Lange, 2006). While Miss Daisy and Hoke’s relationship was just developing, Miss Daisy was a long-standing member of her church and she had friends in what appeared to be a long-term relationships. Idella, Miss Daisy’s housekeeper, had also been around for many years and they had formed a different type of long-term relationship, one where Miss Daisy determined they knew how to stay out of each other’s way.

With Hoke as her chauffeur, Miss Daisy is able to maintain social contacts and remain active in situations that she enjoys such as going to temple, visiting her husband’s grave, the library, and other social functions. She is afforded the opportunity to maintain some independence and autonomy while being safe.

The socioemotional selectivity theory is an interesting theory developed by Carstensen (1992), which focuses on the belief that we start early in life, as young as toddlers, selecting with whom they want to spend time. Carstensen believes that as we grow and change, our social networks change to fit the circumstances that we are in (1992). Miss Daisy certainly changes her relationship with Hoke from associating very little with him and treating him like a hired hand to becoming very close in friendship with him and wanting to spend time with him instead of her son; she even tells him “you are my best friend” (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). As circumstances in her life changed, her relationships did also. This theory could be used to explain why older people reduce their circle of contacts as they age. But other reasons do exist and have an impact on the aging process.

The continuity/development theory tries to explain why some people adapt to changes that occur better than others (Grossman & Lange, 2006). This theory states that our personality pattern can help determine how we adjust and our personality needs to be stable as we reach this point in our life (Grossman & Lange, 2006). Coping skills that are learned early in life may help some move through the stages of aging differently than others.

Miss Daisy seemed to have more aging challenges than did Hoke, but there was a five to ten year age difference between them that may account for some of the difference in difficulties. He seems to adapt to different situations, tolerates Miss Daisy being rude to him but still maintains patience and gentility to win over Miss Daisy and perform the job he was hired to do. Miss Daisy relates her experiences to Hoke of growing up poor and working hard for what she has. She hates being called “rich” and detests the thought of people talking about her or thinking that she is “putting on airs” (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). Hoke has had to endure racism and prejudice through the years because of his skin color but has still maintained a positive outlook on life. Miss Daisy seems to have missed some of the negative connotations associated with her being Jewish until Hoke points them out. However, she tries very hard to not be perceived as rich or stingy and cheap as was a Jewish stereotype that existed at this time.

She seems to have learned to adapt to changes over the years but examples of her anxiety in certain situations are apparent as she avoids confrontation with her son, frets about being on time for temple services and gets ready for a trip to Mobile, Alabama. She counts her linens and silverware and is concerned about being taken advantage of by the people who work for her. Hoke seems as steady as a rock and nothing seems to ruffle his feathers as he takes Miss Daisy’s idiosyncrasies in stride. He maintains what appears to be good health although by the end of the movie, Hoke is no longer able to drive because of poor eyesight and Miss Daisy is in a home for the aged.

Health related Quality of life

A lower socioeconomic status has been shown to have a negative impact on morbidity for all age groups (Robert et al., 2009). However, few studies have been conducted to determine if socioeconomic status has an effect on health-related quality of life (Robert et al., 2009). One challenge with measuring health related quality of life is putting a weight to different measurements – deciding what factors have more of an impact on outcomes such as depression or pain (Robert et al., 2009). This study determined three measures: household income, household assets, and education and found that income impacts health related quality of life most significantly in a negative way (Robert et al., 2009).

While it is difficult to determine the socioeconomic status or age of Idella, she dies suddenly one afternoon while shucking peas and watching a show on television, the first of the main characters to succumb to death without any warning. She did not have any apparent changes in cognitive status. Her socioeconomic status is certainly less than that of Miss Daisy but other risk factors probably played a role in her early demise.

Another factor that plays a role in early cognitive decline as determined by extensive research is life experiences or life events, which include events from our early years as well as more recent events (Williams & Kemper, 2010). More research is happening in this area to determine what else can impact the cognitive decline of adults (Williams & Kemper, 2010). We have some glimpses of experiences from Miss Daisy’s upbringing as she talks about not having enough money to own a cat, working hard, going to school, and her career as a teacher. However, her husband had a lucrative business that Boolie took over and she was very well off by the time the movie starts. Hoke’s life experiences are discussed little as he talks about his children and playing as a boy. One significant event in his life that is talked about in detail is when he relates the story of his friend’s father being hung.

One study has indicated that social participation has a direct effect on health-related quality of life and improved functional status as well as improved cognitive skills (Dahan-Oliel et al., 2008). Several social participation activities have even been proven to decrease mortality which include work (paid or unpaid) and religious activities (Dahan-Oliel et al., 2008). Other activities that positively affected mortality included daily reading, family contact, and solitary activities such as gardening or exercise although sedentary or leisure activities rate the same (Dahan-Oliel et al 2008). Miss Daisy performs several of these activities, as does Hoke.

Health-related quality of life improves with such social activities as having a spouse, a hobby or other activity to enjoy (Dahan-Oliel et al 2008). Reducing cognitive decline has been shown to improve quality of life in many older adults (Williams & Kemper, 2010). As Driving Miss Daisy depicted, loss of cognitive function limits independence in several different ways. Miss Daisy lost her ability to drive which limited her social interactions. She was stubborn and would not allow Hoke to be her driver, making her unable to get a hairdo as well as limiting her ability to attend church and other social excursions like playing cards with her friends. Although her friend offered to drive her (they initially came to Miss Daisy’s home) she felt restricted by the loss of her ability to drive. Eventually she allowed Hoke to take her around but was embarrassed by this and made him park around the corner or be last to pick her up.

Hoke tries very hard to fulfill his duties of chauffeur but Miss Daisy is insistent she can manage on her own. She is rude to Hoke as he tries to be pleasant with the other workers in the home and make himself useful by cleaning or gardening. Finally, he follows Miss Daisy down the street as she heads to the grocery store. She doesn’t like the repeated stares of her neighbors and gets in the car. Miss Daisy makes it known that she is in control by telling Hoke how fast to drive, when to turn, and where to park.

Little incidences show the aging process for Miss Daisy as she first loses her ability to drive then argues with Hoke about the way to the grocery store. She doesn’t want to discuss issues with her son and refuses to listen as he makes attempts. She tells him “no” without hearing what he has to say, or she sings and pretends not to hear him. She eventually progresses to living in the past as her memory changes and is unreasonable to deal with. She is unable to live alone and is placed in a home for the aged.

One day Hoke is able to drive through an ice storm to get to Miss Daisy’s home. He relates how he learned to drive in this type of weather when he drove milk trucks years ago. He brings Miss Daisy a cup of coffee because he knows that is how she likes to start her day. As they chat, she relates how Idella was “lucky” referring to the fact that she did not have to suffer through the aging process, dying quickly.

The social engagement factor seems to play an important role in cognitive decline, and some researchers feel it is at least as important as physical exercise (Williams & Kemper, 2010). Being involved with friends is also important – not just having friends. Some brain health programs have been developed to help enhance cognitive function and include lifestyle modifications as well as nutrition, physical and cognitive activities (Williams & Kemper, 2010). One saying that the public is used to hearing is “use it or lose it,” which focuses on the premise of maintaining cognitive function by using devices for this purpose (Williams & Kemper, 2010).

Some studies are showing that nutrition as well as physical activity is important in cognitive decline; by increasing physical exercise, blood flow to the brain increases which will further impede this process (Williams & Kemper, 2010). Miss Daisy and Hoke kept active within their social situations for some time. Hoke walked everywhere until he bought a car around the age of seventy. Miss Daisy was able to do some walking but she probably had less physical activity as she led a different lifestyle and had servants to help her out.

Using an Adult Assessment Tool that focuses on psychological, sociological, and biological changes and involvement and adjustments to these changes will help to perform a holistic assessment of the patient (Grossman & Lange, 2006). From this assessment, a care plan can be developed that will help determine needs and develop goals to help patients reach their optimal level of activity.

In an extensive study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), results showed that many factors can affect a person’s self-determination of quality of life (Zahran et al., 2005). These factors included inability to perform activities of daily living, emotional issues, income of less than $15,000 per year, those with less than a high school education and unemployment (Zahran et al, 2005).

Resilience also seems to play a role in quality of life and studies have been completed to determine what factors drive how some adapt more readily than others (Hildon, Montgomery, Blane, Wiggins & Netuveli, 2009). Hoke seems to have a great deal of resilience as he is able to bounce back from the struggles he has endured through life. Nothing seems to faze him as he deals with Miss Daisy’s rude behavior in the beginning or the incidence with the police as he maintains his pleasant demeanor with little outward appearance of strife. Miss Daisy seems nervous and anxious at many points during the film, fretting about being late or appearances but is certainly able to hold her own for quite some time also as she maintains her independence into her early nineties.

Ageism Examples

Ageism is determined to be a major problem in America as myths and stereotypes about aging run rampant in many social situations (McGuire, Klein, & Chen, 2008). The older population is represented in many forms as being lonely, sad, poor, dishevelled, or even demented, and the general public has become so accustomed to the message that we don’t even notice it anymore (McGuire et al., 2008).

Ageism was portrayed in several scenes in the film. The first scene was when Miss Daisy wrecked the car and she observed the children staring, the workers and neighbours whispering, and even her son and the tow truck driver seemed to be giving her “knowing” stares. In several scenes, Boolie seems to talk down to Miss Daisy, letting her know that she doesn’t know about such things as car insurance. He even states “You’re a terrible risk; no one will want to insure you” (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). He talks to her like a child, telling her she is stubborn. Idella even makes comments to Miss Daisy, telling her, “Sometimes I think you ain’t got the sense God gave a lemon” (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). These are examples of putdowns that are common to the older generation of things that we would not say to someone with whom we have a relationship of trust (Phelan, 2008).

When Hoke and Boolie first meet, Hoke assumes that Miss Daisy has started “going round the bend” – a slang term for not being competent any longer, which is another ageism of older people (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). Boolie assures Hoke that “she’s all there,” just high strung (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989).

Florine appears to be condescending to Miss Daisy but primarily in the conversations she has with Boolie and not to Miss Daisy’s face. On one such occasion she says to Boolie, “When doesn’t she (need you)” (Zanuck & Zanuck, 1989). This portrays the ageism that older people are dependent on younger ones for needs (McGuire et al., 2008).

Another time, Hoke arrives at Miss Daisy’s to find her in her bathrobe, hair flying about. She is looking for her school papers and cannot find them. Hoke tries to reason with Miss Daisy telling her to sit down before she hurts herself, she shouldn’t be behaving like this because she is rich and if she doesn’t snap out of it, she will go to the insane asylum. This is an unreasonable demand for Miss Daisy and not respectful of what is happening to her physically (Ebersole, Hess, Touhy, Jett, Luggen, 2008).

When Miss Daisy is in the home for the aged, she appears dishevelled in a bathrobe and walking with a walker. While the walker is a necessary piece of equipment for her, she could have been dressed in different attire, especially for a holiday. Her son asks her question after question without giving her time to respond and then answers for her. This is another example that the aged cannot think, failing to show dignity and respect for this population (Trueland, 2009).

Countering ageism is important as many patients that we care for fall in the category of greater than sixty-five years of age. Treating people as we would want to be treated is the hallmark of a compassionate and caring nurse (Trueland, 2009). Trueland states that this generation of people (age greater than sixty-five) have a great deal of respect for the medical field and need to be treated with that same respect (2009). Ageism can have a negative impact on longevity and people, especially those in the medical field, need to play a role in lifting the stigma associated with this older population (McGuire et al., 2008).

Conclusion

Social theories play an important role in caring for the aging population. Learning about the different social theories will help us to care for this generation more effectively as we learn about how social interactions impact the aging process and the health of the person for whom we are caring.

Understanding ageism is also important in caring for the aging population as showing respect and treating people with dignity is important at any age. Listening is an important skill to develop to be an effective communicator. Helping to not perpetuate the myths associated with aging will help to reduce the stigma or prejudice against this patient population.

Use of an Adult Assessment tool (Grossman & Lange, 2006) would be advantageous to developing a holistic plan of care to determine psychological, sociological and biological functioning and needs of the adult patient. While social participation is essential to a healthy aging process, decreased functional or cognitive status can impact involvement. Being aware of limitations and learning alternative activities would be important to facilitate social participation at the level of involvement a person can achieve. Driving Miss Daisy demonstrates many examples to support these theories.

References

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Zanuck, R. and Zanuck, L. (Producers), Beresford, B. (Director). (1989). (Motion Picture).

United States: Warner Bros.

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