MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.

2016

ANALYSIS FROM A SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE MOVIE "AUGUST".

1. DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY FUNCTIONING WITH ATTENTION TO:

According to Pittman: Type of family, family rules, functioning of subsystems and external
boundaries.

1.1 Family type.

The Weston family is a type of family in permanent crisis due to its structural failures by which
the family lives from crisis to crisis whose unresolved tensions are attempts to avoid change.

On the one hand, we find a crisis of helplessness in which one of the two members is
dysfunctional and dependent. In this case it is Violet who finds herself in this situation because
of her physical and psychological incapacity.

There also appears an unexpected misfortune (Beverly's suicide) whose tension is isolated in
which such a phenomenon could offer the family the possibility of solving previous structural
problems, but it does not happen, but Violet constantly looks for culprits instead of joining
forces to face it.

The tensions we find in this family are manifest, habitual, permanent, real and imaginary, and
also specific, defined by intrinsic forces, characteristic of its family structure.

That is why, despite the fact that they are living several parallel crises, we have enough
information to affirm that this is a family in permanent crisis since Beverly has left home
several times, is an alcoholic and has been unfaithful to his wife; and Violet has been admitted
to a psychiatric hospital, is addicted to drugs and nicotine and has mouth cancer.

In addition, we find a conjugality based on constant conflicts whose intention is to avoid the
perpetuation of the detached character. We can define them as a detached marriage whose
tensions appear in order to avoid being too distant.

Violet also appears in the role of a sick woman who dominates the world with a sigh and
whose every cry for help is accompanied by elements that blame her family for not caring
enough or not trying hard enough (a key element in the mother-daughter family dynamic).

In Beverly's case, we find an alcoholic person protected by the sedative component of the
substance that evades any conflict, thus creating a totally dependent relationship with the
substance. This element, coupled with infidelity, places himself conjugally in a more distant
position thus avoiding any attempt at intimacy with Violet.

In addition to what Pittman points out, I would also add that this family has sacrificial family
components. Violet binds the family with demands for care and attention even though she
sometimes does not verbalize it directly, seeking affectionate recognition for her sacrifice.
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

1.2 Family rules.

The family rules that we observe in the film range from explicit ones such as being successful in
the workplace due to the continuous comments made by the mother about the sacrifice of her
family of origin for her daughters to have an education ("if you had made an effort you would
be president of the country"), together with the family legacy based on: all the sacrifice
invested must be returned in the form of care.

Other rules are that you have to dress in formal attire: "I see you have decided to take off your
jacket gentlemen... I thought we were at a funeral lunch, not a tavern". And also that each
member of the family must deal with their own problems and feelings, each one seeks to
isolate themselves from the others and in their own world to survive, as if trusting the other is
a line that must not be crossed, otherwise one can be destroyed. That is why secrets abound.

Also, you cannot show weakness, we are all strong, especially women. Violet cuts Ivy's crying
at dinner, Barbara tells Bill that they need to teach Jean some character, Aunt Mattie Fai saved
her when she was assaulted by friends of her mother. Fortitude will prevent any emotional
discomfort.

And the most important is that of fidelity to the mother, since when something happens, all
the members of her family must leave everything to go with her to offer her care. Everyone
must mobilize and come together in the face of a crisis provoked by their parents.

1.3 Functioning of the subsystems and external borders.

Spousal subsystem: Disharmonic, worn-out and dysfunctional relationship based on a

symmetrical interaction where violence, reproach and poor communication abound. Both
parents use substance addiction as a sedative, to escape from the reality in which they live and
to relate to each other. One with drugs and the other with alcohol. There is no expression of
love or affection, totally dysfunctional whose limits are rigid among themselves and diffuse
towards the fraternal subsystem. Distant and uncaring relationship: Beverly has left home
several times and has also been unfaithful to his wife.

"The point is that my wife gorges on pills and I drink, it's the agreed deal, a clause in our
marriage contract."

-Parental subsystem: Instrumental functions (education, discipline...) covered but

dysfunctional in emotional functions with rigid limits. There is no care, protection or
expression of affection or love, but any information the mother has will be a weapon she will
use to discredit and humiliate any of her daughters. We also find sacrificial parents (your
father was living in a Pontiac sedan for 6 years) who expect that act of generosity to be repaid
with care and jobs commensurate with the sacrifice invested. There is no bond between the
parents and their daughters: Violet does not know that Barbara is separated, that Karen is
engaged and that Ivy is in love with her stepbrother.
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

The only emotional expression of the mother towards her daughters is based on double-
binding messages, reproaches, insults and humiliations that prevent the existence of actions
against this message or the evolution towards other parameters.

-Sibling subsystem: very distant and disharmonious relationship between sisters. Their
boundaries are rigid as we have Karen, an attractive woman who has a different vision than
the rest of the sisters and sometimes even unrealistic: "we don't know for sure that it was a
suicide", "I do believe that we are united".... An Ivy who finally, despite not being happy and
not being valued by her mother, decides to stay close to her parents to take care of them, who
does not keep in touch with the rest of the sisters because she has not told them about the
cervical cancer and a Barbara, who despite being hermetic about her life, is the savior for the
mother and the one who exercises parental functions when family crises occur. There is no
trust, no contact or expression of love and there are reproaches for the few visits they made to
their parents. The only connection between them is the care of her mother and the sudden
death of her father.

As Ivy states, "We are people accidentally joined together by genetics, a random selection of
cells."

They live in the middle of the Oklahoma desert, in a house where the windows are boarded up
and the curtains are drawn to avoid any contact or information from the outside. On one of
the occasions it is Violet who states: "we decided to stay here, alone, in the dark, locked up".
And also Uncle Charles asks Ivy "Do you know what the purpose is? (of having the windows
covered), You don't know if it's day or night," and Ivy replies, "that's the purpose."

2. Functioning of family homeostasis.

The family homeostasis is based on the continuous crises that both spouses present at the
conjugal level. 'If you are not here, we will do something to make you come' (psychiatric
admission, calls at three in the morning...).

These crises provoked by the identified patient mobilize the family and make everyone come
to their aid as in previous occasions. On the last occasion it is Beverly who succeeds by
committing suicide. This is their way of attracting attention and provoking contact between the
members of an estranged family. 'If we're together, we're good.'

It is during Beverly's funeral meal that the family balance is challenged by a Barbara who
accuses her mother of being a drug addict and the rest of the family members protect that
homeostasis by changing the subject: talking about the poems, talking about how beautiful the
ceremony was, being silent... in an attempt to block any possibility of endangering that
homeostasis.
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

There are also other examples in which the intention of not verbalizing can be clearly
appreciated, thus denying the existence of any conflict, making a joke and taking the heat out
of any family issue or problem: "until someone doesn't throw something, it's not a real party".

Family secrets (infidelity and suicide note) also play a key role in the family homeostasis thus
allowing a sick and dysfunctional Violet, unable to avoid suicide in the face of Beverly's
farewell note and also unhappy as she has had to bear the burden of secrecy because of her
husband's infidelity.

Violet's aggressiveness puts pressure on Barbara and they finally end up fighting and raiding
together with her sisters. The symmetrical scale appears and Barbara manages to take over the
power of the family.

3. Moment in the life cycle where they are found.

The time in the patient's life cycle identified is the retirement stage of active life and old age
since Beverly is retired and also because of the death of one of the spouses. It is also
intermingled with others such as: that of school/teenage children in the case of Barbara and
Bill and also the stage of couple formation in the case of Karen and Steve because they are
about to get married.

All of them are in the mourning stage.

4. Coalitions, triangulations, family loyalties and other significant pathological games.

4.1 Coalitions

-Mattie Fai and Violet against Barbara: During the family meal, Violet comments that she is
thinking of having an auction to sell the valuable things in her house to which Mattie Fai states,
"An auction is a good idea".

- Ivy with Violet against Barbara: Ivy calls Barbara's attention to Barbara protecting her mother
when she comments that perhaps it would be best not to have the auction of the valuables
and that it would be free for the daughters when Violet passes away.

- Uncle Charlie with Barbara against Violet: "I don't understand why you are so aggressive, we
all love you here" This comment was made by Uncle Charlie after Violet had accused him of
her parents' sacrifice so that she could have a good life...

- Uncle Charles and Charles Jr. Against his mother: in the face of Mattie Fai's constant attacks
("the baby has turned on the TV, so much TV must have damaged your brain, you should find a
job that pays you to watch TV...) it is Uncle Charles who stops this speech and at the end he
says: "let's get in the car and leave and if you mess with this boy again I will kick you and leave
you standing on the highway: " let's get in the car and go and if you ever mess with this boy
again I will kick you and leave you standing on the highway. I do not understand such cruelty. I
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

look at you and your sister and I don't understand how you can't show some respect, I don't
think there's any excuse for it."

- Mattie Fai with Barbara against Ivy and then Barbara and Violet against Ivy for hiding the
family secret: Charles is Ivy's half-brother.

-Uncle Charles with Barbara against Jean: Jean does not eat meat and in a comical way, Uncle
Charles pretends to have a heart attack because he is afraid of the meat he has just eaten,
everyone laughs and finally it is Barbara who, in front of the whole family, affirms that she has
ever seen Jean eating a hamburger.

4.2 Triangulations

Barbara's triangulation toward both parents.

From the information provided in the film, we learn that Barbara has been her father's favorite
for a long time and is now Violet's main pillar in the family. It seems that Barbara has always
mediated between this dyad, acting as a model, slowing down and containing the existing
miscommunication at the marital level.

After Beverly's suicide, when Barbara arrives home, we see Violet comforted by her presence
and desperately greets her (she does not do so with the rest of the family members).We see
Violet constantly blaming Barbara for her father's suicide and trying to discredit and ridicule
him with messages like "the poems weren't that good, he got drunk and shit himself at an
alumni dinner, they didn't say at his funeral that he was an alcoholic". Thus trying to put Violet
in a privileged position for Barbara.

Triangulation also of Jean by his parents. We have a permissive Bill with few parental
functions and lack of limits (he lets Jean smoke and likes her to do so because she looks older)
who is constantly on his daughter's side and against Barbara (in the event in which Jean is with
Steve smoking joints, after the argument, it is Barbara who slaps her daughter and it is Bill who
runs after the teenager after telling her: What are you doing?! This happens after
disrespecting his father.

In addition, Barbara constantly reproaches Bill for being a father: "Help me, dammit! React,
while you dye your hair in your fifth adolescence, the world is coming down and our daughter
with it"; "lately you haven't been there as a father, maybe she considers it abandonment". And
finally we see how Bill takes Jean to Colorado.

4.3 Family loyalties

Family loyalty is based on the total availability of all members for the needs of the family,
especially the care of the mother. If a member does not attend, he/she will be branded a
traitor.
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There is also a maximum protection of secrets and any confrontation will be considered an
attack on the family homeostasis. Family always united and unchallenged even if there are
addictions, attacks or aggressions.

4.4 Other pathological games

During the film we find double binding messages from mother Violet to her daughters:

Violet to Barbara. "My darling, my daughter... my heart is breaking for all the times you have
had to suffer, I wish I could have spared you..." and continues the speech with all
aggressiveness: "but if you think you can understand for a single moment what that man
suffered throughout his life you are very wrong"....

Violet to Ivy: "what have you done to your hair? He asks her in a derogatory way and then tells
her: "you are beautiful" and goes on to say: "you go with your shoulders shrugged, your hair
stretched and without makeup, you look like a lesbian". He also tells her you are useless and
later touching her leg he says: "you are a comfort to me".

In the case of Violet towards Karen we find disconfirming messages denying the existence of
that daughter despite appreciating a Karen who tries to please everyone. We see, for example,
a Karen who repeatedly says "how nice" to a piece of furniture offered to her two sisters but
not to her; and a Karen who tries to make jokes "where's the chicha?". The response of the
mother and the rest of the family members is absolute silence.

There are also elements to affirm that there is a parentalization of Barbara, which in reality is a
hidden coalition denied at the metacommunicative level in which there is also a symmetrical
escalation.

Barbara monitors her mother's medication intake and also promotes the drug raid, goes to talk
to the doctor, forces her to eat the fish and also goes after her when Violet runs through the
field.

And on the other hand, it is Barbara who constantly fights with the mother for family power,
takes control when her mother is absent and finally ends up affirming "Here you will all obey".

And the symmetrical escalation is observed as Violet would sacrifice herself with a depressive
symptomatology with this being the "down" position that allows her to control and dominate
the relationship.

A generational repetition of patterns is also observed . We have on the one hand a maternal
grandmother defined by Violet as "cruel and twisted" who allows her daughters to be attacked
by men known to her mother and who instead of giving her the boots she wants, finds herself
with a man's boots full of manure and dog poo; and finally a Violet and Mattie Fai who
constantly insult, verbally assault and defy their sons and husbands.rcol and dog poop; to a
Violet and Mattie Fai who constantly insult, verbally assault and challenge their sons and
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

husbands; and finally to a Barbara who maintains a disharmonious relationship with her
daughter Jean in which vexatious comments such as: "precocious little girl" and also towards
her husband: "damned son of a ..."

4.5 Myths and beliefs at work.

The myth of forgiveness and atonement is found in this family since the responsibility for the
family's current situation lies at the marital level, but Barbara is constantly blamed for her
father's suicide, her mother's condition due to her abandonment and for being responsible for
the breakup of Ivy's relationship with Charles Jr.

"Let's see if you understand once and for all spoiled, wretched little girl, if there is only one
reason Beverly killed herself it was you. Do you think he would have done what he did if you
were still here? No!"

The myth of romantic love is found in Karen. She constantly brags about her husband, how she
is getting married, how in love she is, how they met and even appreciates that he canceled
meetings to attend her father's funeral; the rest of the family sees him as "the groom of the
year".

In the case of the myth of harmony there are hints in the form of Violet's desire to have a
united family ("in my day the family stayed together") and of "nothing happens here", and it
also appears when the sisters have dinner together.

In terms of family beliefs there is on the one hand Violet's omnipotence to which nothing
escapes her, she has a firm and strong character and has had to deal with not being the
favorite in her family having a cruel mother: "nothing escapes me", "I don't need your help",
"I'll manage, I know how to do it", "nobody is stronger than me, fuck me ten", "when
everything has faded and vanished, I'll still be there".

Belief of hermeticism and of not asking for help in the face of conflicts. They can only ask for
help if something happens to their mother or father, which is when the whole family comes
together.

As for the sibling system, there is the belief that the daughters are failures at the affective-
relational level: Barbara's marriage has failed, Karen changes partners constantly: "this is the
boyfriend of the year" and Ivy is incapable of maintaining stable relationships and even ends
up falling in love with her stepbrother.

There is also the belief that in all families there is a favorite child for the parents. In the
Westorn family it is Barbara and in Violet's family it is her sister Mattie Fai. "There's always a
favorite, if you'd had another daughter you'd know that."
MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

5 DEVELOPMENT OF A FAMILY INTERVENTION STRATEGY.

Pittman's seven steps are proposed for the elaboration of the intervention strategy. To
summarize, the intervention would be as follows:

First step: Reacting to the emergency.

The first objective to raise with the Weston family is medical management, through admission
of their addiction and illness. It will be then when, after this stability and control, we will be
able to appreciate in Violet a masked depression that she is currently showing and also any
other psychological problem that may appear, which we will have to take into account and
work on in sessions.

Second step: Family commitment.

When family crises occur, the family usually asks for the IP to be changed and for this we will
have to be careful (not forgetting this concept) but we will also have to support all the family
members (her daughters) with the objective of giving them responsibility, explaining to them
how important they are for their mother's recovery. To this end, we will reformulate their
demands, giving a positive connotation to their current situation.

Third step: Definition of the crisis/problem.

We must identify the immediate tension by asking ourselves: Who is the one who is changing?
What is so harmful about change? Who is it hurting?

Ask all family members about the conflict, opening the focus in order to obtain a personal and
complete vision of the conflict.

In the Weston family we have a multiproblem family in which individual and couple problems,
triangulations, functioning beliefs, myths, family loyalties, addictions... will appear.

We could also ask why is it happening now? What do you want to achieve, etc. as this would
give us information on those things that the family is willing to do, seeing then those things
that the family is resistant to or those things that the family is not aware of.

Fourth step: General recipe

It is important at this stage to understand the conflict in its totality. Have sufficient information
about the addiction, communication patterns, previous crises, previous solution attempts, etc.
Not forgetting the reason for consultation and that the family is in a grieving process.

Fifth step: Specific recipe.

- De-parentalize Barbara: Make Barbara's parentalization consensual.

- Work on family beliefs and loyalties.

- Provide healthy communication guidelines for all members.

MASTER IN FAMILY THERAPY SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE 13.03.2016

-Encourage and protect the fraternal subsystem in order to separate from the parental
subsystem. Emphasize the individuation of daughters by confronting Violet's beliefs.

-Grieving: Redefining and accepting Beverly.

Step 6: Negotiate resistance to change.

As you move forward, you will see some resistance to change and then you will have to ask
yourself: What is it that you don't want to change? If we answer this question we will have a
lot of information about what that person wants to protect.

This can be done by supporting the good intentions of each member, even the most resistant;
and also by using paradoxes as a destabilizing element to advance change.

Seventh step: Completion

It will be necessary to assess the demand and the change produced. To do so, it is necessary
to:

Reinforce learned behaviors and new relationship patterns produced in the family.

Convey to them the importance of always being alert for possible relapses in the consumption
of Violet.

To consolidate new roles and new situation in the family.

And always leave the door open to the family for any questions.