A rich account is presented of a man raised by deaf-mute parents who was, although suffering neurotic character problems, essentially intact in terms of ego functions and capacity for healthy object bonds. Arlow persuasively presents evidence that such ties can indeed evolve, despite major deviation from the normal expectable environment, when the total object tie is nourished and effected by nonverbal means. This deaf-mute mother was able to effect a strong libidinal bond with her child. Her capacity for this was related in turn to the mothering she received in her own childhood. The fascinating aspects of this paper are less in the neurotic difficulties of the patient (although the impact of the patient's disabilities is in itself most interesting) than in the discussion of how so much