Character Analysis
Snob vs. Slobs
Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) is a snob. She's viewed as an entitled, stuck-up, rich girl by the other kids, and lives up to her reputation… at least on the surface. Her parents clearly spoil her—when her Dad drops her off at the school, he implies there's nothing wrong with what she did to gain her detention (skipping school to go shopping). This cushy family life makes her seem far from relatable, but the whole point of The Breakfast Club is that appearances aren't what they seem.
When she enters detention, Claire gets off on the wrong foot right away. Surveying the peons around here, she feels miffed. She tells Vernon:
CLAIRE: Excuse me, sir? I think there's been a mistake. I know it's detention, but... um... I don't think I belong in here...
But one of those ragged plebeians is kind of into her: John Bender, the juvenile delinquent. He expresses his sexual interest in Claire by continually harassing her, saying things like "Claire is a fat girl's name" and generally provoking her wrath.
Even though Claire reacts the way you would expect her to, Bender on some level has apparently charmed her. When he removes a screw from the door's stopping mechanism, making it impossible for Vernon to prop it open, Claire denies knowing who's responsible, telling Vernon that it just fell out—it's obvious she's kind of into Bender, too.
Psychologically, this might have something to do with the fact that Claire's parents use her against each other, and she wants to date someone who will irritate them. At least, that's a point Bender makes while successfully coaxing Claire into making out with him.
Under Pressure
Why does Claire act so snobbishly toward the other kids? Why does she swim with the current, accepting and embodying even the negative preconceptions people have about her? The answer seems to be that she feels security in following the crowd, embracing the stereotypes about her clique. She brattily asserts that Brian and the other nerds look up to her and her rich friends, prompting Brian to call her conceited.
Claire reveals that, beneath her snobby queen bee exterior, she's not content:
CLAIRE: I'm not saying that to be conceited! I hate it! I hate having to go along with everything my friends say!
BRIAN: Well then why do you do it?
CLAIRE: I don't know, I don't... you don't understand, you don't. You're not friends with the same kind of people that Andy and I are friends with! You know, you just don't understand the pressure that they can put on you!
So, Claire seems to be overriding her need to run with the crowd by the end of the movie. She's starting to recognize that the other students transcend their stereotypes, and she's beginning to transcend hers, too.
Claire Standish's Timeline