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In his introductory remarks to the essay on “A Special Type of Choice of Object Made by Men” (a) Freud emphasised that he was describing a type of object-choice occurring not only in neurotic men, but in men “of average health or even in those with outstanding qualities” (b). This essay proposes to draw attention to the Roman poet, Gaius Valerius Catullus, as a remarkably representative exemplar of the tendencies in love noted by Freud.
It will be remembered that the type of love-object described in the essay is a woman with a “lawful possessor”, (c) either a husband, fiance or friend. The “lawful possessor” is regarded by the woman's lover with rivalry and hostility, but jealousy is not manifested. The love-object must be of bad repute sexually (the term “love for a prostitute” is coined for this aspect) (d), so that her lover is constantly tormented by doubts of her fidelity to him, and experiences the most excruciating jealousy, not, as has been said, of the “lawful possessor”, but of his new rivals, “strangers making their appearance for the first time” (e). It is in this experience of jealousy that the lover's passion reaches its height. There is considerable over-evaluation of the love-object, accompanied by repeated asseverations of fidelity on the lover's part, although, in fact, this fidelity may be subject to lapses. Often a series of affairs takes place, each affair being a replica of the others. Finally, the lover evinces an urge to “rescue” the love-object, and believes that without