The Case of Bento: A Child Analysis in Four Parts

This case report presents the evolution of a boy's analytic process which began when he was 6 years old. Bento, as I shall call this patient, was brought to my office by his parents. Bento's ‘difficult’ characteristics became more pronounced after his only sister, Malu, was born, increasing until his parents sought consultation when the sister was 10 months old. Though both parents were concerned, the father especially felt that Bento had been overly spoiled and pampered. His wife did not agree with this.

Bento had been born slightly premature and was breast fed for a short time. His mother could not recall for how long. As a baby he had been seriously jaundiced and needed to be exposed to ultra-violet light in the hospital. During those treatments he was apparently left alone. At one of our sessions Bento brought in a photo of himself in the hospital. He was thin and tiny, wearing only diapers and a pair of enormous dark glasses. He laughed manically at the picture. The fear, loneliness and sadness he could have experienced in that situation seemed far away. However, I felt very ill at ease seeing that photo.

Bento was an observant and intelligent child whose abilities did not translate into his schoolwork. It was very hard for him to make sense of texts, to be practical in doing his assignments, and to establish social contacts. His school had suggested that his parents take him to a speech therapist. However, his mother, who was in analysis at the time, thought that his needs were different. She asked her analyst for a referral, and Bento started analysis at age 6.

At our first appointment, I was immediately struck by his sad and evasive expression, his lifelessness, his fragile appearance, and his lack of engagement. During the early part of our relationship he was very passive, which confirmed the pattern his mother had described. He submissively and unenthusiastically accepted whatever suggestions people made. I postulated th