• Amelia, the main character, is deeply affected by the loss of her husband in a car accident. Her inability to cope with this grief is a central blemish of her character. Her grief is portrayed through her emotional instability, difficulty in connecting with her son, and a sense of overwhelming sorrow.

• Samuel, Amelia's young son, exhibits behavior consistent with severe anxiety and possible behavioral disorders. His constant fear of monsters and obsession with protecting his mother can be seen as a blemish on his character, which results from his traumatic childhood experiences.

  • All of the above can explain how the film illustrates Goffmans' "blemishes of individual character”.

Condition: In this case, Amelias' trauma and grief is caused from the loss of her husband, and such immense grief explains why she is doing things she wouldn't normally do/seeing things a normal person wouldn’t.

Negative Deviance: The negative deviance in the film is not the Babadook itself but rather Amelia's inability to confront and deal with her grief in a healthy way. Her emotional turmoil leads to erratic, harmful behavior, which can be seen as a form of negative deviance. Some actions include neglecting her son, violent outbursts, and becoming more and more isolated from the world. These actions are not in line with societal norms and expectations for a mother.