Dibz

Dibs was a very young boy who had a lot of potential, even though everyone thought he was mentally retarded. Within each relationship that children develop, different personalities are shown. Normally, a child is most comfortable when they are with their parents, and most eager in the classroom. This is not seen at all with Dibs. He is most comfortable when he is with Dr. Axline, even though she is a complete stranger. Although Dr. Axline's first time in the playroom wasn't as successful as later visits, Dibs said more to her in that first session than he would to his teachers. He made himself comfortable by getting familiar with each of the toys in the room naming and touching each as he went along.

As each visit went by, Dibs would use the toys to re-enact past experiences in his life. During one particular visit Dibs buried a toy soldier in the sand that he referred to as "Papa". This showed Dr. Axline that he wanted to get rid of his father in real life. By closing the windows and doors on the dollhouse and of the playroom, Dr. Axline knew that Dibs must have frequently been locked in enclosed rooms.

I think Dibs acted this way because of his father's attitude towards him. By his father being ashamed of him and locking him up all of the time, Dibs probably thought something was wrong with him and began to keep to himself. By having Dr. Axline in his life, Dibs became more normal because he was finally able to open up to someone and not be punished for speaking. By letting Dibs do things on his own, Dr. Axline helped Dibs realize that his level of dependency wasn't as high as he thought it was. In my opinion, Dr. Axline became an outlet to Dibs as a sense of escape from his own life. He was able to express his thoughts and opinions to her without worrying about being punished and reprimanded for what he said. In Dibs eyes the doctor became his friend and the more time he spent with her the more at ease he felt.