Figure 185 drawn by a fourteen-year-old boy, depicts another problem in the sibling rivalry or forces between siblings.

Mike has a brother age thirteen who is mentally retarded. It is noted that there is no force between the boys; rather the ball or the force stays with the retarded brother. It is of course difficult to compete with someone, who is handicapped, as it induces guilt feelings. While the boy does have competitive feelings with the brother for the father’s affection, he is unable to have active competition with him, and tends to sublimate this through the painting he is doing in the drawing. Even though this family is not compartmentalized, the outstanding theme seems to be poor communication. No one faces another, people have their sides or their backs to each other, and each is preoccupied with his own thing.

The ‘A’ syndrome is associated with the love and affection that one often receives from parents, through very high school achievement. Figure 186 drawn by nine-year-old Mike demonstrates the ‘A’ syndrome.

The father in this case was the principal of a school, and put a great deal of pressure on the boy to do his homework, and to achieve at a very high level. Note the ‘A’ which is the dominant force between the father and the son, and again the cutting attitude of the father and the precarious position of the boy, in relationship to the father and the ‘A.’ It is also significant that the boy was caught between the mother and father, while the two teenage brothers have gotten out in a car. The nine-year-old still needs mother's cooking and balances precariously in his relationship to father on an ‘A,’ even though father threatens this balance.

If you would like to view the images to this article/lesson, please send a blank email to engraph@netvision.net.il

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