The film Antwone Fisher is an autobiography directed by Denzel Washington, based on the life of a United States Navy sailor, named Antwone Fisher, with emotional problems and a violent temper that can often be triggered by rage. Essentially it can be concluded that the psychological and emotional problems Antwone experiences are what make him such a prime example of social determinism. When further examined, Antwone was more specifically influenced by early childhood trauma, his naval psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), and the emotional connection he makes with Cheryl (Joy Bryant) a fellow officer in the navy.
As a child Antwone was frequently abandoned and abused; in the end, this ultimately affects his emotional and physical response to the people in his everyday life. His mother, Eva Mae Fisher, abandoned him after he was born and unknowingly sent him to a foster home in which Mrs. Tate, Antwone’s foster mother, abuses him and calls him derogatory names throughout the entity of his childhood. However it doesn’t stop there, as the movie progresses Mrs. Tate eventually kicks him out of the house and leaves him alone and starving out on the streets of Cleveland, but not before his childhood babysitter had her way with him. Antwone later reconnects with his …show more content…
These events ultimately shape Antwone’s personality; which can be further proven through Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Antwone was constantly seeking approval and love as a child but in the process was constantly “rewarded” with pain and punishment, whether it was from friends, family, or fellow sailors. This in turn led Antwone to believe that no matter what you do, whether it be good or bad, will be met with consequences and ultimately led to his trouble expressing himself and his pessimistic outlook on