rtunities to become full-grown components of the ever-new configuration that is the growing personality (Erikson, 1968). The eight stages listed above correspond, in ascending order, to infancy, early childhood, childhood, school age, adolescence, and the stages of maturity which comprise young adulthood, middle age, and old age.
MR. WELDON û (STAGES ONE THROUGH THREE)
Mr. Weldon admits to not having any conscious memories from the time of his birth until he was nearly five years old. This means that he does not have any vivid impressions of his life during EriksonÆs first two stages of development, infancy and the toddler stage. His developmental crisis in infancy would have been trust vs. mistrust and in the toddler stage, autonomy vs. shame or doubt. The extent of this research is not broad enough to determine whether or not Mr. Weldon successfully resolved those crises, as he has no vivid memories of those years. He does, however, have strong recollections about his preschool stage of development, from 3-6 years in which the developmental crisis is initiative vs. guilt. Mr. Weldon started kindergarten a year earlier than most children as he turned 5 on September 29th, so was barely past four years old when beginning school. His memories point to a successful or positive resolution of this crisis, as he fondly recalls enjoying learning, ôMy mother taught me to read and writer at home. I remember using her old nylon stocking paperboards to practices writing on and copying drawings from other works. My kindergarten teacher was a warm, large Greek woman who often sat at the piano and played popular tunes we all sang along with. I became very interested in numbers which my teacher discovered when instead of practicing my alphabet I had written numerals down on the page. I guess thatÆs why I made a good accountant.ö
Mr. Weldon was heavy set during his school age stage of development. He appears not to have succ...