Antwone Fisher

10/27/2012

Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, stated the first stage of human development is one of the most important. Because an infant is entirely dependent upon his or her caregivers, the quality of care plays an important role in the shaping of the child’s personality. In the case of Antowne Fisher, with his unfortunate circumstance of the death of his father and the incarceration of his mother, he lacked the care and love only parents can provide. However, once he entered the foster care system, Mrs. Nellie Strange, a savior of sort and his foster mother, became the tool in his development through the first stage of Erickson’s stages of development. It is evident within the first stage of development; trust versus mistrust. “…The major emphasis is on the mother’s positive and loving care for the child…if we pass successfully through this period of life, we will learn to trust that life is basically okay and have basic confidence in the future” (Harder, 2003). During this time period of Antwone’s life, in contrast to what is to occur in the future, it should be addressed the profound care and attention he received from Mrs. Strange. His foster mother, Mrs. Nellie Strange, showed the genuine care and love a true mother envelopes her child in. The attachment of Mrs. Nellie to Antwone and his trust for his foster mother was evident as she begged to keep while Antwone “…let out a lust yell…” as he was removed from her custody. Antwone reminisces from his case file that Mrs. Strange, “…said she wanted him and how can he move to a new home, repeatedly saying that she did not want to give him up” (Fisher, p. 24). He gained this trust from Mrs. Nellie through her care giving and affection, something his biological mother could not and did not give. We learn later on the true sense of Erickson’s trust vs. mistrust as Antwone lacks trust towards his biological mother (though he does not, yet know, that it is truly his mother) when they meet during a session with his caseworker. However, we also later learn that even if an individual may embody oneself as a mother, in case of Mizz Pickett, they must carry the trait of caring, love, and affection to gain the trust of the child. Autonomy vs. shame is Erickson’s second stage of development, one through which Antwone has also journeyed through unharmed as he did in the first stage. Even though losing through his relationship with Mrs. Strange who represented security and care, before the age of three, he was still capable of learning the skills of self-reliance. That is, “Antwone crawls all over the place, stands and walks holding onto things, he says hi and bye bye…he smiles a good deal and appears to be a well-cared for child” (Fisher, p. 23). Unfortunately, his development, soon, takes a turn for the worst and we realize the extensive impairment he will endure. He is moved to a different foster family, the Picketts. Mr. Pickett, a preacher, is as much distant as Mizz Pickett is dominative, manipulative, physically and psychologically abusive. The heinous abuses on Antwone, both of physical and emotional form, started at an early age. We must not also forget the sexual abuses he endured as the effects will manifest itself later in his life. At this stage in his life, according to Erikson, the primary developmental focus should be on the dominance of initiative over guilt, however, the “psychosocial features of conflict between child and parents” (Harder, 2003) becomes much more evident in the relationship between Antwone and Mizz Pickett. Through the use of inconsistent and inappropriate rewards and punishments, Mizz Pickett introduces in Antwone’s life a lack of hope and nothingness. A vivid event, though quite tame in comparison to the abuse, is one in which the Pickett foster children go trick or treating. Upon returning with joy every child has during trick or treating, Mizz Pickett demands of them all the candy they received placed in the box. “Then, wiping her hands together first, Mizz Pickett slams the lid shut on the metal box and slaps on a Master lock. “Now,” she says…Here it hits me-she ain’t gonna let us have none. “I’ve give ya some uh dis here candy when you deserve some…and not until” (Fisher, p. 54). It goes without saying; there never came a situation where Mizz Pickett felt the children ‘deserved’ any of the candy. For Antwone, occurrences such as this would compromise his sense of initiative over guilt creating fundamental inadequacy; a mark which would have detrimental effects later in his life. Antwone Fisher's first two years of care from Mrs. Strange has manifested itself into a vital landmark in his early years of development. More specifically, Antwone's development of the brain, physically and cognitively provides the concrete evidence to support Erikson's stages of development. According to Erikson's model, the stages prior school-age include infancy and toddlerhood. During the infancy period, a child's central process includes mutuality with caregiver. That is, to combat the psychosocial crisis of trust versus mistrust, a child will endure events which does or does not create a connection with his/her caregiver thus the trust versus mistrust factor. In toddlerhood, a child's crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt is resolved by, “imitating adults, siblings, television models, playmates, and even animals” (Newman, 73). In the case of Antwone Fisher, his first two years, similar to other infants, is a critical stage in the development of the brain and it's groundwork of behaviors in adulthood. It is to my belief that without Mrs. Strange's care, Antwone would have lead a self-destructive path towards prison much like Dwight as well as his mother. That is, any extreme stresses can and will impair the growth of an infant's brain; “The first two years of life are critical in this regard because that’s when your baby is building the mental foundation that will dictate his or her behavior through adulthood. In the first year alone, your baby’s brain grows from about 400g to a stupendous 1000g. While this growth and development is in part predetermined by genetic force, exactly how the brain grows is dependent upon emotional interaction, and that involves you.” (Joanna, 2012). It was with Mrs. Strange's loving care, while not evident early on, provided the stepping stone for Antwone's achievements in adulthood. The positive effects of Mrs. Strange's was well documented by Social Services as the files read, “Antwone crawls all over the place, stands and walks holding onto things, he says hi and bye bye...He likes pancakes and mashed potatoes...He smiles a good deal and appears to be a well cared for child” (Fisher, p.23). Through these events, Antwone's crisis of trust versus mistrust has been overcome by his mutuality of his caregiver, Mrs. Strange. While the positive events with Mrs. Strange plays a vital role for Antwone's future, the negative implications at times clouds Mrs. Strange's role as a valuable proponent of care. Antwone's abuse and neglect began an early age, too early. Mrs. Strange's inability to care for another infant, which she later contradicted, led to Antwone's new foster home, the Picketts at the age of two. It was clear as Antwone “cried for another long while and refuse to remove [his] coat or allow anyone else to remove it” that his relationship with Mrs. Strange was far more profound that even the caseworker perceived and to cut ties will have lasting ramifications. But far worse than his loss of Mrs. Strange was his sexual abuse which began at an early age of three. It was Willenda, a neighbor who assists in babysitting for the Picketts, around twenty years old, who began her onslaught of sexual abuse against Antwone. Antwone reminisces, “Shivering, not from cold, but from terror, trying to wrap my arms around myself, I close my eyes as Willenda pulls me toward her...her face flashes a warning. She doesn't even need to tell me in words. I know what it says – never, never, never tell, or something more horrible than you can even imagine will happen to you” (Fisher, p. 44). It is with these words that Antwone describes the onset of the heinous events, and as equally as important, his developmental strain becomes much more evident. In Erickson’s model of development the crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt during Antwone's age of abuse becomes coherent. Instead of developing autonomy, it is clear due to the sexual abuse by Willenda, Antwone has adopted more shame and guilt. Antwone says, “...it wasn't really the fear of her punishing me that kept me from telling anyone all those years. It was the unspeakable shame I felt about what went on with her in the basement, and my unspeakable shame that maybe it was my fault” (Fisher, p.44). Both his shame and doubt it clear here. We later learn the shame and guilt carries itself far later in life with his low self esteem, low self concept of himself, and distorted view of his own sexual identity. His attendance in school, however, in all this mayhem, brought some realignment of the linear development in Antwone's life. According to the state's child welfare report Antwone's school career began with great promise. “Antowne was registered at Oliver Wendell Holmes in 9-64. His adjustment has been god. Grades received for semester ending 1/65: Conduct B; Effort B; Appearance A; “Antwone is a nice little helper and tries very hard to follow directions.” Grades received for semester ending 6/65: Kindergarten A; “Antwone is a good citizen.”” (Fisher, p.61). Antwone's enrollment in school provided a temporary escape from the violent calamities and abuse of his home. On a website titled, Who Mentored You, Antwone Fisher says, “Brenda Profitt was my elementary school teacher. She was the first adult I ever trusted. She spoke to all of us the same way. It was a tone of respect. And I wasn't accustomed to being spoken to that way. I think that being with her for three years made all the difference. So whatever it was that she possessed, that she gave to us, we kept” (Who Mentored Antwone Fisher?). With this, it's evident that Antwone's development of trust of others and his realignment of development was on account of his enrollment in school. While the heinous abuse of Antwone was seemingly inevitable and everlasting, an incident where Antwone was hospitalized for a fractured elbow, could have provided the evidence of abuse to put an end to the vicious cycle. All throughout Finding Fish, the prevalence of Antwone's abuse became a common theme. This theme was further lead to be true in Mizz Pickett's negligence of not providing the simple necessities of a child that include unworn shoes. Antowne says, “By spring, the bottoms of the shoes have permanently hardened into slippery plastic...” (Fisher, p.187). It is with these frail shoes that Antowne slipped and in “[t]rying to cushion [his] collision with the wall, [he] extend[ed] [his] arms in front of [him], bending [his] left elbow backward to the point of breaking” (Fisher, p.187). As he was recommended to a hospital for immediate care, no such action took place by his caretakers. It was after three days of “enduring fever, throbbing pain, and continued swelling” that Antwone was finally admitted to a hospital by Mr. Pickett. It is here that the healthcare providers, had they asked the proper questions, could have removed Antwone from the abuse ridden environment. It was clear the healthcare providers saw the swelling of Antwone's arm as they insisted he stay in the hospital for three days with the arm elevated to reduce swelling prior to surgery. Nurses or doctors could have asked why there is so much swelling or why Antwone was not admitted immediately after his fracture. The proper authorities should have been contacted to investigate the negligence upon Antwone. However, it was an omission that was ironically indicative of Antwone's life. How could a child go through such abuses without a notice by anybody, even doctors? The military, however, became highlight of sort for Antwone's life. Throughout his time in the navy, for almost ten years, Antwone experiences the first sustained stretch of positive influence he has ever known. Quite often his peers and commanding officers emerge as willing to help him to see himself as a potent and capable individual. Of his commanding officer, Senior Chief Lott, Antwone had this to say, “I hated his guts for grilling me in front of others; apparently, I thought, he hated mine too. To the contrary, I later discovered, Chief Lott cared a great deal for me and wanted to help me rid myself of the burden of my own show of inferiority” (Fisher, 2001, p. 277). With his revealing discussions with Lieutenant Commander Williams, Antwone found that he was, at last, able to look objectively at his own history. An important aspect of Antwone's life was his profound time with homelessness. Throughout his homelessness, Antwone's vulnerability along with his survival instincts came full circle. Some of his old demons came clawing back; a time in the YMCA, “Going for the nearest and most accessible, I pee abundantly in one of the urinals and am just buttoning up the fly of my pajama pants when a man's booming voice sounds from behind me, “Don't put it away”” (Fisher, p.239). Again, unwarranted sexual advances, in which believed to have left behind with the Picketts came hurling back. During his homelessness, Antowne also learned to survive, but more importantly, his learned to distinguish between the moral and immoral from his personal experiences. This becomes apparent after the beating he undertook from Butch. “The beating I'd just gotten from Butch was nothing compared to what I felt hearing what those cards meant. I felt like dying. For what happened to me with Willenda; what happened to Keith; for all those kids whose names and faces I'd never know that I'd unknowingly helped Butch use” (Fisher, p.248). He developed effective decision making skills as he ran away from Butch as well as a growing compassion for others. As a parent now, some of the issues one may draw about could be Antowne's inability to show compassion or love towards his children. Will he adopt the seed of neglect Mizz Pickett has sowed onto him or has he gone through the transformation into becoming a loving father? I believe that because of the level of abuse and neglect that has transpired in his life, Antwone could not even fathom those same demons manifesting upon his own children. But rather, ironically, those events has taught Antowne exactly what needs to be done as a loving father. Finding Fish was an awe-inspiring book. What was inspiring and uplifting about this book was simply that Antwone Fisher never gave up. He was unaware of his own worth, of his good looks, of his artistic abilities, but he never gave up trying to search for some kind of worth in his life. He was an innocent, and the people who grew to care for him saw this and hoped to foster it. As easily as could have, he never gravitated towards bitterness or resentful anger of his foster brother, Dwight. He never stopped trying to care, nor to try. After reading this book, it would be hard to find an example of a man more worthy of admiration than he.

Bibliography

Fisher, Antwone (2001). Finding Fish. New York, New York: Harper Collins Publishers

Harder, A. F. (2003, February 28). Support 4 change. Retrieved from http://www.support4change.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=108

Joanna Lipari. (2012, 22 Ju). Psychology today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200007/raising-baby-what-you-need-know

Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2011). Development through life, a psychosocial approach. (11 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co.

Who Mentored Antwone Fisher?. (n.d.). Harvard School of Public Health - HSPH. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy/Celebrities/antwone_fisher.html