This article is a study of the uses of psychoanalysis early in this century to understand problems of acculturation. The biography of the author Ludwig Lewisohn, once a frequent subject of psychoanalytic consideration, highlights the problem of the place of Judaism in American life. His biography is used as a vehicle to illustrate the uses and limitations of analysis as a treatment, as a philosophic system, and as a method of criticism, especially as it deals with acculturation. The author's own analysis of the biographical material is introduced at some places.