Savage Son by Corey Mitchell Page A

in relation to which all-too-often downhearted, all-too-commonly-human attitudes stand as a mere bridge to be crossed and overcome.
    Indeed, sometimes it appeared as if Bart and Kevin Whitaker could not be any more different. Bart fashioned himself to be an intellectual who was well-read, worldly, and always impeccably dressed. Bart knew these traits were going to shoot him into the upper stratosphere of success in life.
    On the other hand, at least in Bart’s mind, Kevin was beneath him. Kevin was the jock of the family who loved to play baseball. Kevin was more interested in making friends and being sociable than he was about studying his academics. Kevin apparently got along with his parents better than Bart did. He would willingly and eagerly participate in family events with his parents, while Bart usually made up some type of excuse to get out of such gatherings.
    Another way the two brothers were distinct could best be described using Texas colleges as an analogy. Rice University is considered to be upper-crust, on par with a private Ivy League school in the state; while Texas A&M is the everyman college that focuses on blue jeans, pickup trucks, and sports. Without a doubt, Bart was Rice, and Kevin was Texas A&M.
    Kevin enjoyed hunting and fishing. Bart could not stand them. Kevin was a blue-jeans-and-cowboy-boots kind of guy. Bart was the preppy. Kevin was destined to become an Aggie, the mascot for Texas A&M. Bart considered himself to be more of a Princeton guy, or a Stanford guy.
    Though the two brothers professed their love for one another, Bart often complained about Kevin, saying that his younger brother was a “lazy, good-for-nothing bum,” who always had everything handed to him.
    Despite Bart and Kevin’s differences, Adam always felt comfortable in the Whitaker household. He believed theirs was a warm and loving home, and that any problems that they may have had existed behind closed doors and were no worse than any other typical American family.
    It was apparent to many that Bart believed he was truly better than most people, and he did not suffer fools lightly. In a later counseling session with Dr. Lynne Ayres, he informed her that he truly did not care about having relationships with other human beings. Yes, he had a girlfriend—yes, he loved his family—but he did not want to be bothered with other people’s trivialities. As a result, most of the people who came into contact with Bart viewed him as “cold.”
    Bart did, however, believe he was a fixer. According to Ayres, he told her that if people wanted something done, they would often turn to him. “If they wanted anything done,” Bart surmised, “they would come to me, because they would know the job would be done well.” Ayres was not exactly sure what “jobs” people would hit Bart up for.
    The young man also informed the doctor that he struggled with the responsibility that others placed on him. Since he was so reliable, he believed others leaned on him to fix their problems, but he could handle it. He referred to himself as “Atlas,” because he was able to “hold the whole world” on his shoulders. Indeed, according to Greek mythology, Atlas personified the quality of endurance and was condemned to bear the heavens upon his shoulders. In addition, Atlas had been appointed the guardian of the pillars that held the Earth and the sky asunder. These roles were often combined, and Atlas became the god who turned the heavens on its axis, causing the stars to revolve.
    Bart also assured Ayres that he was a master manipulator. He bragged about how he could charm his high-school teachers into giving him an A in their classes, even if he did not deserve such a grade.
    Bart also spoke about his future aspirations. He claimed he wanted to join the FBI, and believed he would be an ideal candidate, as he assumed they would want agents “who can think like criminals.”
    After Ayres’s single session with Bart, she was appalled by what she