Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/18

 272 MICHAEL lOSEPH EISLER

warmly denied women any sense of justice (which as a child he had so venerated in his father and grandfather) or capacity for education. Incidentally, he was himself guilty of contributing evid- ence on the last point, for he had made ineffectual efforts to educate his wife's illegitimate daughter, as well as his youngest sister, whose birth coincided with his first neurotic illness (see above). He attributed the bad results of his efforts, not to his own impatience towards any female creature, but rather to her supposed inferiority. Preoccupation with an idea or illness was ever a welcome opportunity to keep his wife at a distance; nor did he ever let her into the knowledge of the plans and projects he was ceaselessly forging. It has already been stated that his wish for male offspring was determined by narcissism. Other relics of unduly potent infantile narciss- ism came forward as certain paranoid phantasies, which however only gave evanescent indications, and proved very variable. Of these, 1 have already mentioned jealousy. It had reference, however, not only to his wife's former love-affair, but developed into delusion-like phantasies of her possible infidelity, for which he wished to atone by murder of the late lover. Surely these phantasies are to be regarded as new editions of similar ones in childhood, in which it was a quest- ion of the father and mother. As link may serve his jealous attitude with respect to his eldest sister. In this connection, further, one must mention his aggressiveness, which repeatedly appeared in dreams as ability in debate. A curious episode may have rein- forced it. When a conductor on a tram he thought he had once noticed that an old man of impressive appearance, who travelled with him daily and always dropped a small tip in his hand when he took his ticket, expected in consequence servile behaviour. Directly the idea had occurred to him, he unwillingly returned the superfluous money, and gave the traveller to understand he had nothing to expect from him. It is interesting that some days later there was a sort of conversation and r econciliation between them, which introduced them to a friendly relationship. He was partly responsible for this change, and afterwards he even enjoyed being pleasant to the old man. Thus a certain malleability of the pat- ient's narcissism is evident, and leads to the provisional assumpt- ion that another prepotent impulse had necessitated its dissolution. Mofeover there was a number of other means of expression or