@article{article_1676520, title={Anomie, Alienation and the Grandiose Self: Socio-Psychological Analysis of Taxi Driver (1976)}, journal={Selçuk İletişim}, volume={18}, pages={669–692}, year={2025}, author={Kurtyılmaz, Deniz and Ünlü, Bedir Han}, keywords={Anomi, Yabancılaşma, Bireyleşme, Büyüklenmeci kendilik, Taxi Driver}, 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.}, number={2}, publisher={Selçuk Üniversitesi}