Awakenings

“Awakenings”

The definition of awaken is to rouse, excite, or become aware. In the movie “Awakenings,” Dr. Sayer and Leonard both experience awakenings in their own ways. The concepts of nature vs. nature, neurobiological and learning perspectives, and neurotransmitters explain and make connections between them both.

The concept of nature vs. nature explains both Dr. Sayer and Leonard. Nature is simply the way someone is due to biological reasons. Leonard is best described by nature. Due to encephalitis, an infection in the brain, Leonard became catatonic. He did not become catatonic because of the way he was raised; it was something biological that brought him to the state that he was at. Dr. Sayer is best described by nurture. Nurture is the way someone acts because of their environment and the way they have been brought up. At the beginning of the movie, Dr. Sayer is very introverted and he is terrified of people. By the end, he is connecting with people on a level he had never experienced before. Dr. Sayer even asked the nurse out on a date!

In psychology, psychologists use different learning perspectives to explain why humans and animals do the things they do. The neurobiological perspective would best describe Leonard. Leonard’s behavior changed in many ways because of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine brought him and the others out of their catatonic states, which allowed them to experience life for a short