In this paper some clinical material from work with a patient who had been unable to mourn his mother's death is described. Freud's papers on loss (Freud, 1917; ) and Melanie Klein's theory of early emotional development provide the theoretical framework for the discussion of the clinical material. Particular emphasis is given to Freud's concept of mental pain () and Klein's description of primitive defences against unbearable pain and anxiety. The essential function of the primary objects, in helping to make the anxiety and mental pain associated with loss more bearable, is also discussed.