Home Is Where Dd Winnicott Character Analysis

Bringing a child into the world should be one of the most exciting and joyful moments in a woman’s life. Sadly, for some this is not the case. There are those whose circumstances, past or present, that have affected their own sense of self which can, unfortunately, lead to a viscous cycle with their new baby. The bond between a mother and child is one that is most would say is the strongest bond there ever will be. This bond, however can be a positive one that will promote well-being and a sense of “true” identify for the growing infant, or it can be one that is negative, instilling a potentially lasting emotional upset and internal crisis that persists throughout their life. Winnicott addresses these concepts in his book, “Home is Where …show more content…
W. Winnicott addresses the concept of, what he calls, the “Healthy Individual.” It is this concept that explains the critical importance of the bond between a mother and child in its early developmental stages. He coins the term “the good enough environment” (Winnicott) as one in which the mother provides an environment for the infant that meets its needs and provides a “security” for them. This environment sets the stage for promoting a healthy transition from being dependent to being independent and developing a “true” sense of self as the child matures, therefore creating a “healthy individual.” It is when the mother does not, or cannot, provide this safe and secure environment that the child, through no fault of their own, can be put on a potentially self-destructive or anguished path throughout their childhood into adult life. This isn’t to say that the infant or child will not experience any discontent or have periods of aggression. According to Winnicott, these periods are actually beneficial for the child and considered to be healthy in their development of their individual self and autonomy (Winnicott). It is when these are considered the norm, rather than the exception, that can cause lasting problems. We saw just this in Allison Bechdel’s, “Are You My Mother.” As an infant, Allison was raised in an environment that wouldn’t meet the “good enough environment” that Winnicott discusses. She was born into a circumstance where her parents were at odds, with themselves and each other, about having a child at that time. Throughout her recall of the events of her infancy and childhood, Allison, brings up instances where we can see the mother-child bond was not “good enough” even though her mother made modest attempts. One such time was when her mother abruptly stopped breast feeding her due to being “shamed” and made to feel inadequate by her family and pediatrician because she was not able to meet Allison’s nutritional needs by breast feeding