Growing up as Lisa Simpson
Why is Simpsons daughter Lisa the way she is. How did this incredibly intelligent child blossom in your average American family? Explore the various factors in Lisa's environment which molded her to become the girl she is today.
"Middle
Child Syndrome"When then are several kids in the family, one of them is bound to be overlooked. Older brother Bart is the life of the party and his antics often require the full attention of his parents. Younger sister Maggie is the youngest of the family and needs a substantial amount of attention as an infant.
Birth order could definitely play a part in the development of Lisa's character. Studies have shown that children born in the middle often have low self-esteem, have adjustment problems and often feel left out. Lisa has had the typical characteristics of a middle child in that she has had many identity issues in the past - she's tried to fit in with many social groups in the past, but finds it difficult to maintain a constant friend. She's also a great negotiator and displays creative talents.
Malibu Stacy's effect on Lisa's feminist values
Malibu Stacy doll: "Don't ask me. I'm just a girl!"
The episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" begins Lisa's foray into women's equality. This doll spouted sexist phrases such as "I wish they taught shopping in school" which Lisa viewed as demeaning to female intelligence. Lisa becomes angry when no one sees this, and creates a new role model doll named "Lisa Lionheart". While this doll doesn't sell well, Lisa notices one girl purchasing the doll and realizes that one change has not made her cause unrewarded.
Lisa recognizes the typical female role which is assigned to her and refuses to have. She's often considered a contemporary feminist hero. She once tried out for the football team, breaking the social norm that suggested it was not her place to do so. She continually manages to break the molds in a society that thinks a little girl should be seen and not heard. While Lisa is constantly disappointed when people fail to live up to their potential, continues to keep her optimism.
Her inability to hold a steady relationship
Lisa: "Mom, romance is dead. It was acquired in a hostile takeover by Hallmark and Disney, homogenized, and sold off piece by piece."
That's a quote about romantic cynicism if I ever heard it. Granted, Lisa is a only an 8-year-old girl - yet somehow she manages to have troubled relationships.
Case 1: Nelson Muntz, the dumb school bully. She is obviously trying to change a person who can't really change his crude, disgusting habits. Perhaps this stems from her mother's tolerance for Homer's poor behaviour as well.
Case 2: Ralph Wiggum, the slow child who misinterprets Lisa's kindness for love. Lisa's compassion for him on Valentine's Day misleads this dull boy to think that they love each other. This is probably the downfalls of being so compassionate - that her signals are misread to mean more than they are.
Case 3: Milhouse, whose obsessiveness over Lisa results in her returned disgust. Lisa doesn't really want to settle for Milhouse because she thinks she can do better. She also doesn't want to believe that she's the perfect "nerdy" fit for Milhouse.
Inheritance factors for her intelligence
Why is Lisa so smart? Although her immediate family may not produce signs of intelligence of her level, her grandmother Mona Simpson visits one day as a criminal on the run. Mona is articulate and well-read, and the two females share a bonding experience - a show of kindred spirits, if you will. Their common interests indicate that perhaps she isn't quite the misfit she thought she was - her personality type just kinda skipped a generation.
Another reason for her intellect is that she isn't a Simpsons male. In one episode, Lisa receives a poor grade and wonders if she is becoming duller with age. Worried that she'll become like Homer or Bart, she meets other Simpson women and realizes that this particular "Simpson gene" in on the Y chromosome - and so, only the men are affected.
Ending note
There you have it - a tiny little glimpse into the girl known as Lisa. What we can gather from her situation is that she represents the intelligent child who is quite often underestimated of her abilities by adults and others around her. You should also check out my lesson The Coping Mechanism of Lisa Simpson, where we break down her actions throughout the series from a psychological perspective. Do you know any examples of people like this?
Images: The Daily Green
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