Antwone Fisher, Determined or Free?

Antwone Fisher, Determined or Free?

The film Antwone Fisher is an autobiographical drama based on the true story of Antwone Fisher's problematic days growing up. Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is a sailor in the U.S. Navy with an explosive attitude, whom is ordered to see a naval psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), about his volatile temper. Slowly Fisher begins to reveal the emotional problems that ultimately trigger this rage. The viewer learns that Antwone's father was killed and his mother, subsequently ended up arrested and giving birth to Antwone in prison. Soon after, Antwone was sent to a foster home managed by Mr. And Mrs. Tate (Ellis Williams and Novella Nelson) where he was physically and mentally abused. The only support he received was from his best friend, Jesse (Jascah Washington) During his sessions, Antwone develops feelings for a fellow Naval officer, Cheryl (Joy Bryant) and starts to treat Dr. Davenport as the father figure he never had. Ultimately, Fisher begins the quest to find his real family with his newly found girlfriend, Cheryl. While viewing the film, one may begin to question whether Antwone is a product of free will or social determinism. Through Antwone's past; the frequent abandonment from close one's, consistent abuse in foster care and the lack of a supporting family, it is visible that Antwone is a product of social determinism. All in all, Antwone Fisher is eccentric and emotional due to the social determinism he faced in his childhood that ultimately shaped his personality .

The frequency with which Antwone was abandoned in his past ultimately affects his personality, his attitude towards life and an increased difficulty in forming relationships. Antwone was abandoned by his mother once he was born, where he had to be sent to a foster home owing to the fact that his mother was incarcerated at the time. However, once his mother was released, she never bothered in regards to picking him up and saving him from his dreadful foster parents. Everyday while Antwone was walking to school, he always believed that his mom would be standing around the corner ready to take him home. Day after day Antwone has been let down by his hope and beliefs essentially causing him to lose trust in his thoughts and also a loss of trust in his own long-term thoughts about his future, essentially reinforcing his difficulty in forming long-term relationships. His father also abandoned him after he was shot by his ex-wife. Ever since Antwone and his father never had a chance to meet with each other, Antwone was left behind with loose thoughts in his head with reference to 'If my father was still alive, what would my life be like?'. Due to the fact that Antwone never had a father figure in his past, once he realized that Dr.Davenport filled this hole, Antwone did not want to let him abandon him as did his own father. Antwone also believed