Childhood experiences

[briellejee]

This requires some kind of psychoanalysis to make sense of his experiences and how he came to be right now. But, the author most likely learned from his childhood experiences in a way that shaped him to be what he is right now.

I'm finding that analysis as well, at least we could actually shine a light onto this subject with facts and certainty. But, based on the book, I do agree with you. It's pretty obvious that his past had a definite hand on this matter.

[briellejee]

The experience may have contributed to his endurance in the med school though that is not always the case. a different character may have not taken up the challenge. The good thing is childhood experiences made him strong.

Agreed. Not all would have gone the path the same way he did. It boils down to his personality as well. Well, that's for sure. Indeed, it became something he could stand on.

[Achintya]

First of all, it is really sad that, CHILDREN going through trauma has become something so general. The author went through all of these, may it be his aunt, father, mother etc. the whole portrayal of a child going through things because of some really serious flaws contained by the parents is really disgusting. The author is absolutely right and has displayed the whole contribution of all these experiences in his character throughout the story. I somehow find it hard to believe the final character the author has become and find his beliefs questionable.

[Bhaskins]

I believe childhood experiences can play a big part in defining someone's life in many ways. The outcome for a person's life depends on how they interpret some of the most dramatic childhood experiences. Some will let the experience defeat them while others will be determined to do just the opposite and go for the gold, just as the author in this instance did. Everything he experienced during childhood was out of his control so he did not let them have an impact on what he set out to accomplish.

I love this! I work with children as a therapist and I think so much of hard childhood experiences and the way people turn out is due to personality. There are so many protective factors against having a hard start in early life (ACES study), and I think that so many can take hard things and push themselves as he did.

Oh, glad to see you here and contributing your knowledge and wisdom about this topic. Excuse my curiosity though, what do you mean about "protective factors"?

Protective factors are what help kids build resiliency and "bounce back" after any adverse experience (Highly recommend googling ACEs study and checking it out if you have kiddos/or are around kiddos). The list below is not the only stuff, but a good general starting point. I think the author had a very strong sense of identity and sense of self.

The Minnesota Department of Health lists these as protective factors:
Close relationships with competent caregivers or other caring adults
Parent resilience
Caregiver knowledge and application of positive parenting skills
Identifying and cultivating a sense of purpose (faith, culture, identity)
Individual developmental competencies (problem-solving skills, self–regulation, agency)
Children’s social and emotional health
Social connections
Socioeconomic advantages and concrete support for parents and families
Communities and social systems that support health and development, and nurture human capital

[briellejee]

I love this! I work with children as a therapist and I think so much of hard childhood experiences and the way people turn out is due to personality. There are so many protective factors against having a hard start in early life (ACES study), and I think that so many can take hard things and push themselves as he did.

Oh, glad to see you here and contributing your knowledge and wisdom about this topic. Excuse my curiosity though, what do you mean about "protective factors"?

Protective factors are what help kids build resiliency and "bounce back" after any adverse experience (Highly recommend googling ACEs study and checking it out if you have kiddos/or are around kiddos). The list below is not the only stuff, but a good general starting point. I think the author had a very strong sense of identity and sense of self.

The Minnesota Department of Health lists these as protective factors:
Close relationships with competent caregivers or other caring adults
Parent resilience
Caregiver knowledge and application of positive parenting skills
Identifying and cultivating a sense of purpose (faith, culture, identity)
Individual developmental competencies (problem-solving skills, self–regulation, agency)
Children’s social and emotional health
Social connections
Socioeconomic advantages and concrete support for parents and families
Communities and social systems that support health and development, and nurture human capital

Oh, this is very helpful. Sorry I had to ask if I could have just googled it. I have a nephew now and this could come in handy. I never knew there was such thing as protective factors. really appreciate your input and for answering my question. I am learning a lot.

[Bhaskins]

Oh, glad to see you here and contributing your knowledge and wisdom about this topic. Excuse my curiosity though, what do you mean about "protective factors"?

Protective factors are what help kids build resiliency and "bounce back" after any adverse experience (Highly recommend googling ACEs study and checking it out if you have kiddos/or are around kiddos). The list below is not the only stuff, but a good general starting point. I think the author had a very strong sense of identity and sense of self.

The Minnesota Department of Health lists these as protective factors:
Close relationships with competent caregivers or other caring adults
Parent resilience
Caregiver knowledge and application of positive parenting skills
Identifying and cultivating a sense of purpose (faith, culture, identity)
Individual developmental competencies (problem-solving skills, self–regulation, agency)
Children’s social and emotional health
Social connections
Socioeconomic advantages and concrete support for parents and families
Communities and social systems that support health and development, and nurture human capital

Oh, this is very helpful. Sorry I had to ask if I could have just googled it. I have a nephew now and this could come in handy. I never knew there was such thing as protective factors. really appreciate your input and for answering my question. I am learning a lot.

ALWAYS happy to share. The ACEs study is just really remarkable and I think it should be required to learn at least a little about for anyone around kids.

[briellejee]

Protective factors are what help kids build resiliency and "bounce back" after any adverse experience (Highly recommend googling ACEs study and checking it out if you have kiddos/or are around kiddos). The list below is not the only stuff, but a good general starting point. I think the author had a very strong sense of identity and sense of self.

The Minnesota Department of Health lists these as protective factors:
Close relationships with competent caregivers or other caring adults
Parent resilience
Caregiver knowledge and application of positive parenting skills
Identifying and cultivating a sense of purpose (faith, culture, identity)
Individual developmental competencies (problem-solving skills, self–regulation, agency)
Children’s social and emotional health
Social connections
Socioeconomic advantages and concrete support for parents and families
Communities and social systems that support health and development, and nurture human capital

Oh, this is very helpful. Sorry I had to ask if I could have just googled it. I have a nephew now and this could come in handy. I never knew there was such thing as protective factors. really appreciate your input and for answering my question. I am learning a lot.

ALWAYS happy to share. The ACEs study is just really remarkable and I think it should be required to learn at least a little about for anyone around kids.

Any suggestions on what study can introduce me well enough to the topic? Or any study can surely be helpful and easy to understand to someone who is not well-versed in this field?

[briellejee]

First of all, it is really sad that, CHILDREN going through trauma has become something so general. The author went through all of these, may it be his aunt, father, mother etc. the whole portrayal of a child going through things because of some really serious flaws contained by the parents is really disgusting. The author is absolutely right and has displayed the whole contribution of all these experiences in his character throughout the story. I somehow find it hard to believe the final character the author has become and find his beliefs questionable.

I agree, it's not something to be proud of because it really hurts the child. The consequences of having the child traumatized stays longer with the child than to a parent. What beliefs do you find questionable?

[briellejee]

I somehow find it hard to believe the final character the author has become and find his beliefs questionable.

Actually, at first I didn't want to believe that he was able to become that strong character in the end after everything he want through. But I guess it's just his personality, he's own self he created to be able to get past his past and become better.

[LinaMueller]

A person's childhood years are the most important years of a person's life. Sadly, few parents understand such basic thing.

[Brenda Creech]

It is my belief that childhood experiences help to shape a person's future. Helping a child to face their fears and stand up for themselves will definitely help them to be confident and outspoken later on in life.

If only all parents would raise their children that way instead of destroying their self-esteem by name-calling! Thanks for the comment and for stopping by!

Based on experience, my parents would always scold me and hit me when I do something wrong. My father called me useless once, and that stuck with me.

Absolutely those names stay with a person forever! Sadly, some believe it about themselves and are afraid to try because they are afraid to fail!

[Brenda Creech]

I believe that as well, as long as standing up for themselves and being open-minded come together.

That is true, just as belittling them and name-calling can destroy their self-esteem and make them unsure of everything they do.

I think most parents thought that calling their child stupid won't have an everlasting effect. Instead, it stays with them and traumatizes them to the point of them not believing in themselves.

That is so true. Some children are determined to prove them wrong while others give up because they think they will fail because of childhood name-calling. Or if they don't give up they at least settle for things they don't really want to do.

[Nisha Ward]

Yes, I think childhood experiences played a huge part in his will to work hard and succeed. It seems that people who have had a difficult childhood, in his case, poverty but given responsibilities and opportunities like he had to watch over his sister and his uncle paid for his highschool, will work hard for their success. I think, only the fact that the school wasn't a face value for him, made him really appreciate the opportunity to study. This is, of course, no valid psychological opinion, but I think people are more committed to the things that aren't that easy to achieve. As some readers have pointed out, he would have become someone who would dwell in his self-pity. I think this would have happened if he didn't have as nice teachers and an environment that supported his studies.

I agree with everything you said, but what stood out the most was your last line. Indeed people forget to see the privileges you just mentioned. Without them, he might have taken the other road of self-destruction (as it is seen when he was about to commit suicide). Glad to see that someone got my point that there are factors why people stay on the self-pity road rather than striving hard. Aside from the difference in psychological beings, their environment and the people they surround themselves with are factors in choices in life.

I agree on this as well and it's actually a curious phenomenon that can be found in West Indian society within the author's generation as well. If I'm dating this correctly based on the context of the book, Dr. Douglas' early years were roughly from the fifties to seventies when there was a huge push for education among families in the colonies. Kids with potential would receive community support if they were in an area that could afford it because they represented not just the idea of a better life but the concept of potential in groups that had until then been treated as less than human. It's a trend in West Indian literature, though the only books that come to mind right now are V.S. Naipaul's novels and my country's first Prime Minister's autobiography.

Of course, I'm coming at this from a West Indian perspective, but I'm sure anyone from a similar kind of community where kids like Dr. Douglas are rhe firs to achieve tertiary level education can relate.

[Dan_Wellock]

There is this amazing quote by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross:
The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that dills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” I think, because of his struggles, he became a better person.

[briellejee]

Yes, I think childhood experiences played a huge part in his will to work hard and succeed. It seems that people who have had a difficult childhood, in his case, poverty but given responsibilities and opportunities like he had to watch over his sister and his uncle paid for his highschool, will work hard for their success. I think, only the fact that the school wasn't a face value for him, made him really appreciate the opportunity to study. This is, of course, no valid psychological opinion, but I think people are more committed to the things that aren't that easy to achieve. As some readers have pointed out, he would have become someone who would dwell in his self-pity. I think this would have happened if he didn't have as nice teachers and an environment that supported his studies.

I agree with everything you said, but what stood out the most was your last line. Indeed people forget to see the privileges you just mentioned. Without them, he might have taken the other road of self-destruction (as it is seen when he was about to commit suicide). Glad to see that someone got my point that there are factors why people stay on the self-pity road rather than striving hard. Aside from the difference in psychological beings, their environment and the people they surround themselves with are factors in choices in life.

I agree on this as well and it's actually a curious phenomenon that can be found in West Indian society within the author's generation as well. If I'm dating this correctly based on the context of the book, Dr. Douglas' early years were roughly from the fifties to seventies when there was a huge push for education among families in the colonies. Kids with potential would receive community support if they were in an area that could afford it because they represented not just the idea of a better life but the concept of potential in groups that had until then been treated as less than human. It's a trend in West Indian literature, though the only books that come to mind right now are V.S. Naipaul's novels and my country's first Prime Minister's autobiography.

Of course, I'm coming at this from a West Indian perspective, but I'm sure anyone from a similar kind of community where kids like Dr. Douglas are rhe firs to achieve tertiary level education can relate.

Wow, thanks for this insight. I didn't know about this bit of history. Well, even today, scholarships are being thrown here and there, but I guess it's different from the one you mentioned? But I have also seen scholarships that tend to give the minority support. I'm not sure if it has the same requirements though. This is new information for me, which practically shed light on the subject of privileges the author attained.