Despite the title's apparent relevance to the content of this article, the case presentation is more an example of Kohut's notion that, in many analyses, oedipal and preoedipal conflicts are analyzed, while the narcissistic components of character structure are left unanalyzed. In this instance, the patient had had a previous analysis in which the oedipal and preoedipal object relationships and conflicts had been analyzed, but the basic narcissistic core had been left

untouched, leading to a failure in the analysis. The author does justice to the patient's first analysis but shows how it was incomplete by virtue of the neglect of narcissistic features. Nevertheless, it is difficult to evaluate the degree of responsiveness of the patient to this theoretical concept; it is equally conceivable that the results of the second analysis were based on his being allowed to develop in the ambience of an extremely patient and empathic observer.