The authors examine the family of a schizophrenic as an integrated unit, under the questionable belief that this is more fruitful than investigating single environmental factors, including, presumably, the psychology of the individual. However, they introduce some interesting material as they describe a family in which the roles of the various members are so stereotyped, oversimplified, and restricted that it becomes very difficult for the individual member to rise above role-playing and identification in order to reach a personal identity, leading in one of the members to a schizophrenic reaction. They feel this may be a significant kind of family in the life of schizophrenic patients.