Topic > Analysis of the Secret of the Wild Child: Documentary...

I saw the documentary “The Secret of the Wild Child”, about a girl who remained in isolation from birth until she was thirteen. Her name was Genie and she is called a wild child. This means she has been without human contact from a young age and has no experience of human care, social behavior and human language. It is often known that feral children are raised like animals and therefore imitate their behaviors. However, even a severely neglected child is considered a wild child. Around the time it was discovered, around 1970, there was a great debate in the field of psychology. The famous verses about nature fuel the discussion, in the sense that genetics plays a greater role in development or the environment. In Genie's case, the real focus was on his language development and deciphering whether there was a critical age for learning a language. On November 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, California, Genie's condition was brought to the attention of a social worker. The worker discovered the 13-year-old girl in a small, dimly lit and cramped bedroom. An investigation by authorities revealed that the little girl had spent most of her life in this room and was typically tied to a potty. Genie was found in diapers because she hadn't been potty trained. His case is an example of extreme isolation from human contact, society, sunlight and any environment other than his room. The deprivation of attachment manifested itself when she was shy towards humans, almost afraid. Someone whose life has been a development nightmare cannot be expected to have the fundamental faith that the world is reliable and predictable. The life he lived was incredibly terrifying from a moral perspective, and psychology portrays how severe the consequences were on Genie. Genie's father would be in a nursing home somewhere in Southern California. Its current condition is debated. One person hired an investigator in 2000 and supposedly found her happy. Another person, this time a psychiatrist, who examined her, found her silent, depressed and chronically institutionalized. After watching this documentary, I really appreciated the care of the family and the environment I was born into. The importance of human contact became very evident through Genie's heartbreaking discussion. I was able to successfully develop through Erikson's stages as I had basic confidence, a willingness to do things on my own, an initiative to create plans, and a sense of competence. Genie on the other hand has been deprived of happiness, sense of security, love needs, human contact, learning opportunities and many other factors that make a human being healthy, normal and happy in society..