"A Paper Life" by Tatum O'Neal

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the many issues of child abuse that Tatum O'Neal encountered growing up in Hollywood; the troubles in Tatum's later life were created by and stemmed from her less than normal childhood. The author notes O'Neal's problems with gender typing; her understanding of what a woman is supposed to be like was, first, from her drunk and abusive mother, and later, from her father's high-flying girlfriends and Hollywood peers. The paper relates that a reoccurring theme throughout Tatum's life is sexism; Tatum's father treated all the women in his life, including his own daughter, like objects.

From the Paper:

"Another concept that rings true throughout Tatum O'Neal's life is the notion of self-fulfilling prophecy. This concept holds that someone's expectations about someone else can lead him or her to act in ways that confirm the original expectation. In Tatum's case, her father always told her that she was nothing without him and that would explain her constant clinging to and neediness for Ryan O'Neal no matter how he treated her. He constantly badgered her, reminding Tatum that he made her and that she cannot have a film career without his influence. This same notion applies for John McEnroe, Tatum's now ex-husband, who made her believe that she is dependant on him and will not survive without him in her life."

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