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Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)
Abstract
This study examines the alienation, loneliness, identity crisis, and existential struggles of the modern individual through Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976). It argues that the film depicts not just the psychological breakdown of an individual but also the broader existential problems generated by modern society. The main purpose of the study is to uncover the structural factors underlying individual crises by situating Travis Bickle’s inner turmoil within a social context. His transformation is analyzed in light of theoretical frameworks such as anomie, alienation, narcissistic defense mechanisms, the individuation process, and psychological vulnerability. These concepts are explored through the perspectives of thinkers including Durkheim, Marx, Fromm, and Kohut. Travis’s loneliness, estrangement from society, and search for meaning are linked to the oppressive and alienating forces of modern urban life. The research employs a qualitative approach: the film is examined through reflexive thematic analysis, informed by sociological and psychoanalytical perspectives. The relationship between the film’s narrative language and Travis’s inner world is analyzed, demonstrating that the crises experienced by the character have roots not simply in the individual but in society as well. Consequently, it is emphasized that identity formation is shaped by social conditions alongside personal ones. Taxi Driver thus offers a powerful narrative that remains relevant today about anomie, loneliness, alienation, and the neurotic states into which individuals may be driven in attempting to overcome them.
Keywords
References
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- Blake, R. A. (2017). Inside Bickle's brain: Scorsese, Schrader, and Wolfe. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 45(3), 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01956051.2017.1293604
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Communication and Media Studies (Other)
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
October 15, 2025
Submission Date
April 15, 2025
Acceptance Date
September 15, 2025
Published in Issue
Year 2025 Volume: 18 Number: 2
APA
Kurtyılmaz, D., & Ünlü, B. H. (2025). Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976). Selçuk İletişim, 18(2), 669-692. https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN
AMA
1.Kurtyılmaz D, Ünlü BH. Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976). JOSC. 2025;18(2):669-692. https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN
Chicago
Kurtyılmaz, Deniz, and Bedir Han Ünlü. 2025. “Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)”. Selçuk İletişim 18 (2): 669-92. https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN.
EndNote
Kurtyılmaz D, Ünlü BH (October 1, 2025) Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976). Selçuk İletişim 18 2 669–692.
IEEE
[1]D. Kurtyılmaz and B. H. Ünlü, “Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)”, JOSC, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 669–692, Oct. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN
ISNAD
Kurtyılmaz, Deniz - Ünlü, Bedir Han. “Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)”. Selçuk İletişim 18/2 (October 1, 2025): 669-692. https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN.
JAMA
1.Kurtyılmaz D, Ünlü BH. Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976). JOSC. 2025;18:669–692.
MLA
Kurtyılmaz, Deniz, and Bedir Han Ünlü. “Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)”. Selçuk İletişim, vol. 18, no. 2, Oct. 2025, pp. 669-92, https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN.
Vancouver
1.Deniz Kurtyılmaz, Bedir Han Ünlü. Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976). JOSC [Internet]. 2025 Oct. 1;18(2):669-92. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA93YT74RN
