Antwone Fisher Essay

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The heart-rending autobiographical, Antwone Fisher, portrays Fisher’s (who is the movie’s scriptwriter) obsession for a family life, and spells of extreme melancholy and loneliness. The character of Antwone Fisher, an African-American sailor, is portrayed as volatile and uncontrollable. This nature makes way for compulsory psychiatric sessions with Dr. Davenport, after Fisher has a violent spell, leaving a peer bearing the brunt of his temper. Initially, Fisher doesn’t cooperate and remains silent for several weeks; the two clash. According to naval rules, three therapeutic sessions are imperative, beginning from when the client starts speaking. However, ultimately, the real reasons underlying Fisher’s anger issues surface: childhood abuse and the constant fear of abandonment. (Skomormj, 2003). The conversation initiated between client and therapist sheds light on the heart of Fisher’s problems. The tale commences with an ordinary day in navy workers’ life but ends leaving spectators heartbroken. The client’s tale may be counterpointed with that of the therapist and his spouse (Seal, 2003). The latter had a troubled past as well, implying client and therapist are both, in effect, in therapy (Ebert, 2002).



The Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment Report

Client Name: Antwone Quenton (Black Cat ID#: 220148)

Address: American navy (California)

Seize Information: none

Safe to leave substance: No.

DOB/age: 08/03/1976 (24 years old)

Gender: priapic

First primary appointment date: 09/14/2000.

Communication Method: incline

Referral Name: Dr. Davenport, U.S. Navy.

Funding Source: U.S. Navy-sponsored

Completed Assessment With: Lauren A. Marte: Client struggles with forming interpersonal relationships.

Strengths: Client can identify and justify his violent spells them. He aspires to become an educator after leaving the navy. Dr. Davenport’s efforts have curbed his rage and helped him take himself to task.

Development of Relationships: Fisher understands his personal strengths and is somewhat ostentatious about them. When meeting his mom, he highlights his strengths and talks about what he has grown into without her aid. This is vital to his ambition transaction, as he believes everything he is, is without his mom’s involvement (Seal, 2003).



Antwone Fisher’s story, which is a real portrait of his past, is extremely moving and reveals socio-environmental impacts on behavior. It attempts at presenting diverse human behavioral elements which develop between childhood and adulthood. Age may prove to be a key influencer of environmental experience-based individual human behavior. Fisher’s character attempts at explaining the developmental trajectory impacted by prior experience. Early childhood issues and challenges end up impacting the character’s behavior in the long run. Early childhood is an especially vulnerable age marked by fragility and events experienced herein will most certainly influence behaviors. The lack of protective elements like religion and parenting gravely threatens developmental trajectory. Early adverse experiences may have wide-ranging consequences (Ebert, 2002).



The issue of prior experience and its impact on current behavior is explained explicitly in the film, Antwone Fisher. Fisher's childhood experiences of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, besides other adverse experiences, lead to the development of a violent, volatile personality as he ages. He cannot control his anger and small misunderstandings quickly exacerbate into violent eruptions. He frequently quarrels with peers and his defensive, disruptive nature forces his commanding officer to take disciplinary action and penalize him (Luke & Washington, 2003). Fisher’s shocking conduct, on one occasion, ends in his forced appointment with Dr. Davenport, a naval psychiatrist.

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Fisher, unhappy at being compelled to comply, initially keeps mum for several sessions. Ultimately, he opens up and reveals his horrid childhood experiences. This, in fact, marks the defining moment where he decides to resolve his issues. Hence, several revelations pour forth with respect to Fisher’s childhood experiences, explaining his current behavior. Fisher’s terrible childhood has greatly influenced his adult personality and conduct (Schultz & Schultz, 2009).



Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment Outline

Reason for Social Work Involvement:



The film’s screenwriter, Antwone Fisher, is actually a Black-American ex-navy officer who was posted in California’s San Diego. At the very outset of the movie, Fisher is shown involved in a brawl with a peer; the fight was uncalled-for, immediate, and unexpected. Dr. Davenport, naval psychiatrist and fellow Black American, is called for to assess Fisher’s condition and treat him. The initial four sessions are marked by silence on the client’s part; Fisher claims he can be forced to attend the sessions butt not to speak up. Antwone’s doggedness finally breaks in the 5th meeting, when he asks the therapist what he expects him to talk about. Davenport patiently explains how it isn’t about what Fisher is expected to discuss but rather about what he wishes to discuss. Shortly after, Antwone’s emotional sluicegates open and in the weekly session that follows, Davenport is shown gently posing probing questions, lending a sympathetic ear, and aiding Fisher in identifying trends of ingrained self-hate which can be attributed to the inherited self-revulsion established during the slavery era. Davenport adopts an integrative strategy, combining the elements of biblio, psychodynamic, interpersonal, behavioral, and humanistic treatment (Seal, 2002).



Legal Involvement:



The weekly appointments between Antwone and Davenport reveal telling details of the former’s past. His biological dad was murdered prior to Antwone’s birth, by an ex-girlfriend. His biological mom was a prison inmate and Antwone was, thus, born in jail. Antwone’s mother failed to claim him and he ended up living until age two in a children's home. Ultimately, the Tates adopted him. His adoptive parents introduced him to a miserable life full of acute emotional, sexual and physical abuse, and neglect. He eventually stood up to them and his defiance caused him to get thrown out. He then moved for a short while to a male shelter, got embroiled in a crime which killed his childhood best-friend (another abandonment, in his opinion), and finally got a job with the Navy. In the course of his sessions, he found love in Cheryl Smolley, a fellow sailor around whom he experienced shyness. This caused him to seek dating tips from his therapist. Antwone also struggled with his ‘virgin’ status despite his age (Seal, 2002).



Substance Abuse, Use and History:



Davenport encourages Antwone to find closure by seeking out his biological relatives in Cleveland, Ohio. Initially, Antwone disagrees, but Cheryl persuades him to act upon the doctor’s suggestion. Fisher finally confronts his childhood abusers, talks to his biological mom (who deserted him as a baby), and reunites with his paternal relatives. The journey is freeing as well as painful. Fisher finally begins….....

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References
A Taste of My Brains by Antwone Fisher: An examination of personality through two lenses. (2017). Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://www.brasspad.com/post/59029a949016da14afc76644
Ebert, R. (2002), December 20). Antwone Fisher Movie Review & Film Summary. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/antwone-fisher-2002
Marshall& Brown. (2006). Personality Psychology (740). Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://drcb.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/2017/02/07/marshall-brown-2006/
Schultz & Schultz, (2009). A History of Modern Psychology. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Psychology-Duane-Schultz/dp/0495097993
Seal. (2003), July 14). Antwone Fisher (2002). Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168786/
Seal, F. (2002). Retrieved October 04, 2017, from http://www.cinematherapy.com/birgitarticles/antwonefisher.html


 

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