The Early Years of Life: Psychoanalytical Development Theory According to Freud, Klein, and Bion

301 Pages·2011·1.25 MB·English

by  Gertraud Diem-Wille

THE EARLY YEARS OF LIFE
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THE EARLY YEARS OF LIFE
Psychoanalytical Development
Theory According to Freud,
Klein, and Bion
Gertraud Diem-Wille
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First published in 2011 by
Karnac Books Ltd
118 Finchley Road
London NW3 5HT
Copyright © 2011 by Gertraud Diem-Wille
Originally published in Germany as Die frühen Lebensjahre—Psycho analytische
Entwicklungstheorie nach Freud, Klein und Bion © 2007 W. Kohlhammer
GmbH Stuttgart.
Translated from the German by Norman Merems (Chs. 1–3), Camilla Nielsen
(Chs. 4–6) and Benjamin Mcquade
The right of Gertraud Diem-Wille to be identified as the author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with §§ 77 and 78 of the Copyright Design
and Patents Act 1988.
This work, including all sections, is protected by copyright. No part of it
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form (including translation) or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A C.I.P. for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13: 978-1-85575-710-3
Typeset by Vikatan Publishing Solutions (P) Ltd., Chennai, India
Printed in Great Britain
www.karnacbooks.com
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One who possesses virtue in abundance
Is comparable to a new born babe:
Poisonous insects will not sting it;
Ferocious animals will not pounce on it;
Predatory birds will not swoop down on it.
Its bones are weak and its sinews supple
Yet its hold is firm.
It does not know of the union of male and female
Yet its male member will stir:
This is because its virility is at its height.
It howls all day yet does not become hoarse:
This is because its harmony is at its height.
To know harmony is called the constant;
To know the constant is called discernment.
To try to add to one’s vitality is called ill-omened;
For the mind to egg on the breath is called violent.
A creature in its prime doing harm to the old
Is known as going against the way.
That which goes against the way
Will come to an early end.
Chapter 55
From: Tzu, L. (1963) Tao Te Ching, trans. D.C. Lau,
Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd. p. 116.
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CONTENTS
PREFACE ix
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xv
INTRODUCTION
The relevance of the first years for personality development xix
CHAPTER ONE
The nature versus nurture controversy 1
CHAPTER TWO
The emergence of the body-ego—individuation
through the experience of separation and closeness 35
CHAPTER THREE
Emotional development in the first years 71
vii
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viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER FOUR
Development of thinking and the capacity to symbolize 119
CHAPTER FIVE
The psychosexual development of a child 185
CHAPTER SIX
Epilogue 245
BIBLIOGRAPHY 249
INDEX 267
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PREFACE
This book provides a powerfully argued and beautifully constructed
account of the early development of the child in the family context
from a psychoanalytic perspective. It draws particularly on the theo-
retical trajectory from Freud to Klein and Bion. It is written in a clear,
accessible, and jargon-free style and it is evident that the author
wishes to reach and interest a wide audience of parents and others
involved in the upbringing of children in the broadest sense. The
growth of the child’s mind is the story she most wants to tell. The
wealth of detailed examples drawn from the systematic observation
of babies and young children, from everyday observation of chil-
dren’s behaviour in family and social contexts, and from a range of
clinical interventions, draws the reader into a vivid understanding
of the author’s conceptual framework and provides many memora-
ble vignettes of children’s lives.
The method of presentation, in which the descriptive material
is followed by an interpretation of its psychological and develop-
mental significance, offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in an
account of the detailed play and interactions of a child with parents,
or therapist, or other children, and to then draw back and consider
the complex processes one has been privileged to observe.
ix
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