Second Session

Richard arrived a few minutes early and waited for Mrs K. on the doorstep. He seemed eager to start. He said he remembered something else he often worried about, but added that it was very different from the things he had talked about yesterday, altogether far away. He feared there might be a collision between the sun and the earth and the sun might burn up the earth; Jupiter and the other planets would be pulverized; and the earth, the one planet

with living people on it, was so important and precious.… He again looked at the map and commented how awful it was what Hitler did to the world, the misery he caused. He thought Hitler was probably gloating in his room because others were suffering and would enjoy having people whipped.… He pointed at Switzerland on the map, saying it was a small neutral country that was ‘encircled’ by the huge Germany. There was also little Portugal, a friend. (He had mentioned, by the way, that he read three newspapers every day and listened to all the news on the wireless.) Brave little Switzerland had dared to shoot down planes, German or British, which flew over her territory.

Mrs K. interpreted that the ‘precious earth’ was Mummy, the living people her children, whom he wanted as allies and friends; hence his references to Portugal, the small country, and to the planets. The sun and earth in collision stood for something happening between his parents. ‘Far away’ meant near by, in the parents' bedroom. The pulverized planets stood for himself (Jupiter), and Mummy's other children, if they came between the parents. After speaking about the collision, he had again referred to Hitler destroying Europe and the world. The little countries, such as Switzerland, also represented himself. Mrs K. reminded him of yesterday's material: how he would attack the tramp who kidnapped Mummy, would scald him, make him unconscious, and how he, Richard, might be killed. This had the same meaning as Jupiter—himself—being pulverize