Negative Conditioning In Buster Fang's The Family Fang

It appears, in the effort to preserve their children's childhoods, parents unconsciously impose psychological conditioning. Due to the impressionability of the young mind, children are prone to the conditioning of many forms. Many examples of negative conditioning can be found in the form of Buster Fang’s many unique childhood experiences. Buster, or child B as his parents called him, is a character from the novel “The Family Fang”, by Kevin Wilson. Although Buster later began to enjoy his performances, at first his preferences were neglected. Instead, his parents imposed their own will upon Busters’ childhood and used him in their many outrageous acts. Buster, sometimes unwilling had been often guilted into performing his “ Fang family duties”.

Catharsis allows individuals to express pent up emotions, anger, and ideas. Art therapy provides an express alternative to the traditional violent catharsis techniques to release the built up rage within an individual. In Buster’s case, as a child, he was forced to play many roles, and his participation was mandatory. When Buster learns the truth behind the work "More Woe", he attempts to understand his parents lie. This can be seen here, “‘We’ve always done whatever you asked us to do,’ Annie said, her whole body shaking. ‘We did what you said and we never asked why. We just did it. For you.’ ‘ If you’d told us what was happening,’ Buster continued, ‘ we still would have done it ” (Wilson 147). Buster and Annie finally learn about how their parents hid their true intentions to obtain performance and now recognize to what extent their parents are willing to push Child A, and Child B. During their childhoods, both Buster and Annie are isolated from other children, coupled with the mandatory performances, Buster’s adulthood depression is not surprising. However, if Buster was able to seek early treatment, there would undoubtedly be a positive effect on his matured psyche. Unlike other forms of treatment, mainly exercise, diet, traditional therapy, and even medication, cathartic release allows for as Scholar Scheff puts it, “ The emotional-somatic discharge and cognitive awareness. The first is the one that is referring to the expression and discharge of strong emotions while the second refers to the ability of the individual expressing the emotion to maintain an ‘observing’ role, and to learn from the awareness that emerges after expressing the event” (Kalmanowitz 62). The act of catharsis discourages denial and includes the ability to release all the negative emotions associated with events in the past, as well as