In this paper the development of the early ego ideal is explored from the perspective of Melanie Klein's concept of primary envy. Whilst emphasizing the essential interplay between internal and external factors in the development of the ego and the superego, her concept of primary envy describes the impact which the instinctual endowment of the infant may have upon the experience of the primary need-satisfying object and hence, upon the creation of the early ego ideal. Klein's concept of primary envy, embedded as it is in her theory of earliest development, provides a model for trying to think about an area of experience which is essentially unknowable. However, in its contribution to the character of the ego and superego precursors such as the early ego ideal, these earliest experiences continue to exert an important influence.