Jennifer Melfi

This article is about a fictional character from The Sopranos.

Dr. Jennifer Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco, is the psychiatrist of fictional mob boss Tony Soprano on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Dr. Melfi is probably the closest person to truly understanding Tony Soprano. Over the years, Tony has been able to confide in Dr. Melfi many things that he has told no one else, not his associates and certainly not his wife, Carmela. However, Dr. Melfi and Tony have an unusual, off-again-on-again relationship. Tony inwardly fears the prying into his life that Dr. Melfi does during their sessions, but he also fears the results from not dealing with the problem. As a result, she watches Tony go through frequent mood swings during their time together, sometimes acting playful, other times violent; sometimes acting responsive, other times being cold and distant.

For her part, Dr. Melfi has tried hard to help Tony as much as possible, half chalking it up to some sort of visceral thrill of helping a gangster but also trying to resist the idea that she has romantic thoughts about the man and keep their relationship professional. However, while she has so far resisted Tony's constant advances, which Dr. Melfi is both attracted to and repelled by at the same time, Tony no longer wishes for their relationship to remain strictly professional. Tony seems to see Dr. Melfi as the one object that he is unable to truly have and, while continuing to pursue her, also resents her for it.

Some time ago, Dr. Melfi was also brutally raped in a parking garage and after the rapist was freed on a technicality, she has had to resist the very strong desire to have Tony "squish him like a bug," as she once put it. To deal with this, Dr. Melfi also sees a psychiatrist of her own as well, Dr. Elliot Kupferberg (played by Peter Bogdanovich).

See also

External link

Retrieved from "https://academickids.com:443/encyclopedia/index.php/Jennifer_Melfi"
Navigation

  • Art and Cultures
    • Art (https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Art)
    • Architecture (https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Architecture)
    • Cultures (https://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Cultures)
    • Music (https://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Music)
    • Musical Instruments (http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/List_of_musical_instruments)
  • Biographies (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Biographies)
  • Clipart (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Clipart)
  • Geography (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Geography)
    • Countries of the World (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Countries)
    • Maps (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Maps)
    • Flags (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Flags)
    • Continents (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Continents)
  • History (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/History)
    • Ancient Civilizations (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Ancient_Civilizations)
    • Industrial Revolution (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Industrial_Revolution)
    • Middle Ages (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Middle_Ages)
    • Prehistory (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Prehistory)
    • Renaissance (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Renaissance)
    • Timelines (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Timelines)
    • United States (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/United_States)
    • Wars (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Wars)
    • World History (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/History_of_the_world)
  • Human Body (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Human_Body)
  • Mathematics (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Mathematics)
  • Reference (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Reference)
  • Science (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Science)
    • Animals (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Animals)
    • Aviation (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Aviation)
    • Dinosaurs (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Dinosaurs)
    • Earth (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Earth)
    • Inventions (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Inventions)
    • Physical Science (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Physical_Science)
    • Plants (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Plants)
    • Scientists (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Scientists)
  • Social Studies (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Social_Studies)
    • Anthropology (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Anthropology)
    • Economics (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Economics)
    • Government (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Government)
    • Religion (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Religion)
    • Holidays (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Holidays)
  • Space and Astronomy
    • Solar System (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Solar_System)
    • Planets (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Planets)
  • Sports (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Sports)
  • Timelines (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Timelines)
  • Weather (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Weather)
  • US States (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/US_States)

Information

  • Home Page (http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php)
  • Contact Us (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Contactus)
  • Clip Art (http://classroomclipart.com)
Toolbox
Personal tools