Adoption Anxiety in Orphan

Abstract

Orphan is a horror film with very negative attitudes in its portrayal of adoption, which is shown in the depiction of Esther as an orphan, as her character makes viewers uneasy. The Monstrous Child, as portrayed by Esther, embodies the horrors of adoption and foster children through the protagonist's frightening personality features and connection with her adoptive family. Her actions include seducing, murdering, manipulating, and torturing people around her, reflecting her lack of moral awareness. The narrative also uses artistic representations to reflect an adopted child’s chaotic mind. The film depicts the adopted child as an intruder who destroys and tries to take the roles of the family members away, like a monster, furthermore, the movie comes up with a solution to this problem of having the members of the family come together and destroy the intruder. The film painfully portrays the anxieties surrounding adoption and, at the same time, comes to a problematic conclusion on the topic.