Antwone Fisher's Childhood in Finding Fish: A Memoir Review

Overview of Finding Fish and Fisher's Life

Finding Fish: A Memoir is the tumultuous account of Antwone Quenton Fisher's deeply troubled life, as particularly illustrated by the early portion of his existence spent in a foster home marked by a striking absence of love, affection, and the positive attention so essential to the cultivation of a healthy life. Despite a neglectful and abusive childhood under such desolate conditions, Fisher was able to reclaim his self-respect and self-esteem shortly after leaving the foster home, which was largely controlled by a woman known as Mizz Pickett. Fisher eventually enlisted in the United States Armed Forces, where he regained much of the moral grounding that had been so conspicuously absent from his early years. He later parlayed that experience, along with his innate talent for creativity and the written word, into a successful career as a screenwriter.

Withholding Affection and the Halloween Candy Episode

The most compelling aspect of this non-fiction narrative lies in the treatment the young Fisher endured at the hands of Mizz Pickett and the environment she created for him and the other foster children in her care — including, at various points, a child named Dwight and a young girl named Florence. A number of cultural traits distinguish this foster family, which also included Mr. Pickett, from conventional families.

One of the most immediately striking of these traits is the near-total absence of affection bestowed upon the children by Mizz Pickett, particularly during occasions that are meant to be joyful, such as national holidays. Early in his narration, Fisher describes an episode that took place the day after Halloween. He and the other foster children had happily collected a large haul of candy and were eagerly anticipating enjoying it the following day. The scene in which Mizz Pickett catalogues and then locks away the candy illustrates just how unreasonably harsh her treatment of the children was:

"…she has finished sorting every last lollipop, peppermint, chocolate kiss, Hershey's bar, gumdrop, licorice stick, piece of bubble gum, PayDay Jujubes, you name it. Then, wiping her hands together first, Mizz Pickett slams the lid shut on the metal box and slaps on a Master lock…she ain't gonna let us have none (p. 54)."

This passage illustrates Mizz Pickett's spiteful character: rather than simply allowing the children to participate in the ordinary tradition of eating Halloween candy, she deliberately displays it before locking it away. Another cultural element that clearly separates Mizz Pickett's household from traditional family life is the sheer volume of labor she imposed on the young children from a very early age.

Child Labor and the Absence of Nurturing Bonds

This troubling character trait is demonstrated in a passage in which Fisher — not yet five years old — is taken to meet the woman he believes to be his biological mother. When a social worker asks how Fisher has been getting along, Mizz Pickett replies: "He's doin' well with the cleanin'." Fisher reflects: "Nothing makes her happier than having a child of four and a half do a day's worth of cleaning… (p. 40)."

In most cultures, it is highly unusual — and widely considered harmful — for a four-year-old to perform a full day of household labor, particularly within families bound together by love and mutual care. Such bonds are entirely foreign to Fisher's foster home, and especially to its matriarch, Mizz Pickett.

Conclusion

All of these cultural aspects merely prove that Fisher's childhood environment was hurtful and bitter, and that it would eventually play a huge role in his turning his life around to overcome these significant obstacles.

References

Fisher, A. Q. (2001). Finding Fish: A Memoir. New York: William Morrow.