I know that we weren’t applying the Family Relationships lens to “The Lame Shall Enter First” but what we talked about in class reminded me of this story more than anything. The family system in “The Lame Shall Enter First” has changed because the mother died. Sheppard the father however refuses to accept that the system has been altered and insists on acting as if nothing has happened. Sheppard blames Norton for causing problems in the family because Norton keeps crying for his mother. Sheppard has made Norton the identified patient (yeah, I pay attention) and refuses to acknowledge that the family system has changed. Not adjusting to the altered circumstances eventually leads to tragedy. Norton needs someone to fill the absent element of “mother” but Sheppard refuses to fill it, so Norton turns to Johnson. Johnson takes on “motherly” responsibilities of mentoring and teaching Norton, and Norton takes these lessons to heart. Sheppard is too blind to see what is happening with his son until it is too late. Norton has naively accepted Johnson’s advice because he needed guidance. If Sheppard had just stepped up to the plate and had been willing to change his family element because of the altered circumstances he could have been a mentor to Norton to balance out Johnson’s bad advice.