On Fetishism

The past few years have seen a revival of interest on the part of psycho-analysts in the many problems of fetishism, not only because of the central position it occupies within the important group of the sexual perversions, but also because of its unique capacity for shedding light upon the early history of the ego and of the instincts, to both of which problems this paper is a contribution. There is little need to review the work which allows current studies of fetishism to stand upon such sure ground while advancing further inquiries; this has been done admirably by both Greenacre (1953) and Gillespie (1956), the latter in a particularly comprehensive and synthetic manner, and both have contributed notably to our more recent understanding.

The clinical material here set forth is from the analysis of a man who presented himself with the hope of being rid of the sexual attraction which mackintoshes held for him, an attraction with which was associated the deepest guilt. Superficially his sexual relationships with his wife seemed satisfactory, but his sexual power required periodic reinforcement through bouts of fantasy in which adolescent girls appeared tightly wrapped in mackintoshes. The sight of such girls on the street clad in rain capes was intensely exciting, as were pictures of mackintoshes in advertisements or the sight of them in clothing stores. The guilt and depression which followed such excitement was often intense, and indeed this misery was the principal conscious factor in preventing him from ever having sought a sexual partner with whom to consummate his fantasies in fact.

Typically, his fantasy portrayed an innocent girl, wearing the fetish cloak, in an attitude of servitude and humility as though under the ordinance of a strict governess and in the willing acceptance of a stern upbringing. At times this portrayal was elaborated by the cruel tightening of the sash of the mackintosh about the girl and, for the sake of greater excitement, by her s