Boy With Loaded Gun: Insight Into the World of Lewis Nordan.

Anna Howard

ATHENS TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Spring 2015

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

By With Loaded Gun Synopsis:

• Nordan grew up in Itta Bena, Mississippi in the 1940’s.

• Lost his father at the age of 18 months.

• His mother re-married a shy man who was an alcoholic.

• Nordan lived inside of his comic books. Often fantasizing about how different his life could be.

Boy With Loaded Gun Synopsis Cont.

• Nordan grew up to be an alcoholic writer.

• He committed adultery in both of his marriages.• He lost 2 children. • One to suicide, one to

miscarriage.

“My dad died.. Now what?”Children and coping with the death of a

parent. • The death of Nordan’s biological

father left a void in his life.

• Nordan can vividly recall his mothers lack of reaction to the news of the death.

• Nordan did not properly grieve for his dad.

• His biological father was not often talked about at home.

Szymanowska J. “A child in the face of a parents death”

“Where is dad tonight?” The absence of a living parent and its affects on a

child:

• Nordan’s step-father was gone a lot of the time.

• Step-father spent a lot of time in bars with his buddies, drinking.

• This made Nordan have a lot of curiosity about what it was really like to have a male presence in his life.

Moller, et al “Social referencing and Child Anxiety”

Sexual curiosity:

• Steadfast obsession with women. Many examples throughout the book.

• Often made women up in his mind.

• “Loved” women before he met them.o NY lady & Misty the Circus Woman.

• Curious of his mother’s sexuality, as well as his father’s.

“I want to be Superman.” Children’s Fantasies:

• After the death of his father, Nordan often fantasized about having another life.

• He would get lost in his comic books of superheroes.

• It was an escape for him.

Widzer, M.E “The comic-book superhero: A study of the family romance fantasy”

“Mail orders”Life outside of Itta Bena, MS.

• Lewis discovered mail order catalogs.

• He would use them to order gifts for his parent's and for himself.

• It was kind of the highlight of his summer.

• He had an utter fascination with the whole process of it.

“I love my “father” but I tried to kill him.” Children, Guns, and curiosity:

• Nordan obtained a pistol through mail order.

• He tried to kill his step-father.

• His book goes into detail about time spent with his father practicing shooting at a river near his home.

Slovan & Singer “Children and Violence: Findings and Implications from a Rural Community”

Emmitt Till: Racism in the 1950’s:

• Nordan vividly recalls a violent act of racism again Emmitt Till, who was murdered by white men in the 1950’s.

• He recalls being in his school’s locker room and hearing gossip about it.

• One boy stood out in his mind because of the way the young man profoundly stated that he was on Emmitt’s side and those men were blatantly wrong for what they did.

• He contacted the man later in life to commend his actions.Rahman A. “Emmitt Till’s Mother Speaks”

“Mama, just killed a Man.” Survivor Guilt and its affects:

• Nordan was involved in a fatal car accident in his early life.

• The other driver, who was at fault, dies.

• The deceased man’s wife came to see Nordan in the hospital.

• Even though the other driver was under the influence of meth, Nordan still felt guilty for the man dying and also guilt for the family that was left behind.

Mayou & Bryant “Consequences of Road Traffic Accidents for Different Types of Road User”

Early Life. Marriage and Whatnot:

• Nordan married young, while he was still in college. He and first wife, Elizabeth, eloped.

• Questioned whether or not he was ready, as did Elizabeth.

• For an early marriage, it lasted longer than most statics show.

7. Bartz & Nye. “Early Marriage: A Propositional Formulation”

A Parent’s Worst Fear: Death of a Child… Or 2:

• Nordan lost one child to miscarriage, during his marriage to Elizabeth.

• Lost his oldest son Robin, to suicide.

• Always felt a void by Robin’s death.

Kaplow, Howell, & Layne “Do Circumstances of the Death Matter? Identifying Socio-environmental Risks for Grief-Related Psychopathology in Bereaved Youth”

The ugly world of Adultery:

• Nordan had 2 marriages, both in which he committed adultery.

• The first time to his wife Elizabeth with her hippie friend, Twyla.

• The second time to his wife Annie with a young college aged girl.

• He would try to analyze the cheating to make it seem ok in his mind.

Walters & Burger B “I Love You & I Cheated: Investigating Disclosures And Infidelities To Primary Romantic Partners”

Ramon, the Lying Houseguest:

• Ramon is a friend of Nordan’s from college.

• He is going through a divorce.

• He stays with Nordan and Elizabeth for several weeks and is very unappreciative.

• He lies to make himself look good, and make Nordan look bad.

Deturck & Steele “Once a Liar, Always a Liar: Effects of Individuating Information on the Utilization of Base Rates in Deceptive Attributions”

An Alcoholic and a Writer:

• In his adult life, Nordan was a severe alcoholic.

• He pursued writing, which made the alcoholism worse.

• His alcoholism may have stemmed from his childhood.

• He had a bad experience seeing his step-father almost die in a drunken episode at a bar.

Berk L.E., (2011) Exploring Lifespan Development

Concluding Nordan’s Life:

• After his divorce to Elizabeth, he met and re-married Annie.

• He eventually had to come clean about his cheating.

• Annie made him move into the basement.

• After a long time of trials, they did work things out.

Concluding Nordan’s Life cont.

• Nordan was able to turn things around for himself.

• It wasn’t until his 50’s that he realized for the first time what it was like to really love.

• He tied up loose ends with old relationships.

• Successfully published his memoir in addition to other books.

Beck G., “The 7 Wonders That Will change your Life”

Lewis Nordan

August 23, 1939 – April 13, 2012

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