Journey to Selfhood: Maria’s Psychological Transformation in The Sound of Music

Jeffrin Matthew M R

Department of English and Cultural Studies, Central Campus, Christ University, Bangalore.

Abstract

This paper is about Maria’s transformation in The Sound of Music as a journey of her identity formation. It uses the ideas of Nicholas Mirzoeff in What is Visual Culture and Homi K. Bhabha in “Remembering Fanon” to show that identity is not fixed but develops through interaction and experience. Mirzoeff explains that visual culture which is what we see and what we experience shapes identity. Bhabha argues that identity is a process that happens through relationships with others. Both these ideas help to understand Maria’sjourney. In the beginning, Maria feels lost and unsure. Later, through her relationships with the Von Trapp family she becomes moreconfident and emotionally strong. Music, performance, and visual changes in the environment also play an important role in shaping her identity. The paper shows that Maria’s identity is not something she discovers but something she builds over time. Her journeyreflects the idea that identity is flexible, relational, and always changing.

Keywords: Identity, Visual culture, Self-development, Transformation.