4.4 The Applying of Self-Defense Mechanism Concerning Repression And Displacement by Antwone Fisher to Reduce His Anxiety
4.4.2 Repression
The quotation above shows that after met with his biological mother, Antwone confesses his honest feeling to his mother. He says that he is wondering about her all the time, he also dreamed about her in every night. He always feels so worried because of thinking about his parent. He knew that his mother neglected him, but he wonder if his mother miss him too. He disappointed that his mother does not care even he has struggle to come so far to looking for her.
Antwone Fisher realizes that he was an individual that was resilient and had endured so much in his life. As a young child, he did not live in the best environment. He lacked the guidance that is recommended that a child should have. In Antwone’s childhood, he seemed to not have many positive influences in his life. Even as an infant, Antwone was not born into the ideal situation. When Antwone’s mother was pregnant with him, in a correctional facility. This was where he was born. Also, his father was murdered. Due to the bad decisions of both of his parents, he was left under the supervision of his foster mother Ms.
Tate. His foster mother mistreated him by being verbally and physically abusive.
Then, the way to cope his trauma and anxiety of being neglected again by his mother he does displacement. In this time, he displace his feeling of missing his mother by imagine his mother were just around the next corner when he was on the way to school each day. Actually, Antwone feels thatiIt is not easy to cope after a loved one is neglected him. He will mourn and grieve. Mourning is the natural process you go through to accept a major loss. However, the way Antwone did displacement is the right one because this circumstance makes him feels better than missing his mother all day.
“You told me that we need... to figure out my problems.
- Listen to me--|- Get off me!
[Door Opens]|Hey, get out!
- Get out!|- Nobody ever stays!
Everybody's always leavin' me!
People grow. People move on.
You've grown. It's time for you to move on.
Hey, my mother left me! My father! I understand-- Jesse and you!
Jesse? What do you mean?
We shoulda never gone, that's what.Jesse!” (2002:86).
Form the quotation above it can be seen that Antwone applied repression.
The Repression shown by buried the anxiety, threat and desire to the unconsciousness. The purpose of this defense mechanism is to hide his trauma. As described before, Antwone Fisher did not receive consistent love and care during his childhood which resulted in his mistrust, he may become suspicious and withdrawn and would learn that the world is unsafe and may develop some form of psychosis later in life. This situation cannot be letting go because it will makes Antwone feels hurt. So, the only way to prevent this bad situation is by applying sefl defense mechanism.
From the dialogue above, Antwone debate with his psychiatric who tries to reveal his trauma. Antwone did repression to prevent his trauma revealed. It can be seen while he was angry he is trying to hide his trauma and blame his parents and people around him. He does not want anyone know about his trauma and he tries everything to hide it. Thus means that Antwone succeed applied Repression to cope his anxiety and trauma. The other quotation that shows Antwone applies repression is can be seen from the following quotation below:
Have you thought anymore about finding your family?
I don't know. For what?
Well, I just think that there's really nothing... more important than that, Antwone.
What are you tryin' to say, sir?
That I'm proud of you... that I think you've come a long way. (2002:58).
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Antwone did a repression to cope his anxiety. As described before, Antwone is sent to Mr. Davenport during his fight on the abroad ship. From the way Antwone leaves Mr. Davenport’s
office, Mr. Davenport can understand that the impression is Antwone seems full of anxiety.
However, after experiencing another incident aboard the ship, where Antwone’s anger nearly embroils him in a fight, he returns to the waiting area of Mr.
Davenport’s office and is the source of a scene where he gets the undivided attention and angst of Dr. Davenport. Antwone explains that he feels lost and doesn’t know what to do and walks out of the office, leaving Dr. Davenport speechless and in thought.
In this healing session, Mr. Davenport tries to give the suggestion to Antwone that he need to find out about his family. Antwone reject that suggestion because he feels that the idea is useless. In front of his psychiatric, Antwone does want to seem weak and sad. He want to show that his impression was strong and brave. But in the other hand, Mr. Davenport knew that there is something wrong happen with Antwone and he need to find it out. Antwone tried to fortified his inanition heart from being hurt because of his parents. However, Antwone succeed to hide his real feeling, and tried to hide his bad memories in order to prevent his anxiety and trauma. The other quotation that shows Antwone applies repression is can be seen from the following quotation below:
So, what you want me to say?
It's not what I want you to say.
It's what you want to tell me.
Maybe you can start by asking me a question.
I don't know. Get things going.
I can do that.
You said you come from under a rock.
What did you mean by that?
I don't know, I...
It was the first thing to come to my mind. (2002:4).
The quotation above shows that Mr. Davenport tries to looking for the brief information about Antwone. At first, it is hard for Mr. Davenport to looking for the personal information about his patient. Through his visits with Mr.
Davenport, Antwone slowly begins to recount his past; including instances of abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of Miss Tate while growing up. In the first session, which does not begin until Antwone decides to talk, he tells Mr.
Davenport about how his mother failed to come claimed him after release from prison and Antwone spends the first two years of his lie in an orphanage.
In the conversation above, it can be seen that Antwone does not want anyone knows about what happens to him in the past. He tries to hide everything and act like nothing happens to him. This way is effective to prevent his trauma an anxiety, because if anyone know about what happens, his bad memories will haunted him again and makes him suffer for a sorrow. The other quotation that shows Antwone applies repression is can be seen from the following quotation below:
that you feel under pressure...
that, uh...
uh, you feel a weight... pressing down on you.
That you're in the dark, that you're alone.
You said you had no parents.
I had parents.
Okay. (2002: 8).
The quotation above shows that Antwone feels under pressure every time he remembers his past. He feels that he is in the dark and he is lonely. This situation makes him suffer and the only way to cover up his anxiety is doing repression. This makes his bad things that happens in the past can be hide for himself. The fact that Antwone is surrounded by all of his ancestors implies how much Antwone wants to have a sense of belonging and acceptance within the context of a family. He actually want to show the darker and the sorrow side of himself, but in front of the other, he cannot do that because it will just makes him suffer more sorrow.
Antwone’s past is played out through a series of recollections that gives the reviewer insight into whom Antwone Fisher is and why he behaves the way he does. And the only thing he needs to do is to hide his feeling of the haunted by the memories in order to makes him free from his past event. Antwone used again this defense mechanism to cope his fault because in the first healing session Antwone did not answer the question from Mr. Davenpost clearly. The other quotation that shows Antwone applies repression is can be seen from the following quotation below:
Do you think it's possible...
for somebody that had problems all their life...