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THE STORY OF LITTLE MARY'S BEREAVEMENT IS DERIVED FROM HER memories and from reconstructions in her analysis as an adult. Mary started psychoanalysis in her early 20s for professional reasons. She was a physically healthy and active person. She suffered from mild depressions which were transitory and of short duration, usually lasting one or two days.
Mary was the third of four children. Her parents were well-to-do, had many intellectual and artistic interests, as did Mary herself. The family life was relatively harmonious. Mary's depressions had never seriously interfered with her work. She had been a good student in school and at the university.
Very early in her analysis, Mary spoke of an important childhood event. A few days after Mary's sixth birthday the youngest child, 3½ her junior, fell ill. What seemed at first to be an ordinary childhood disease proved to be fatal. A few weeks later the little one died. During the last week of her sister's illness, Mary and her 2-year-older sibling stayed with their grandparents, because the mother was completely preoccupied with caring for the sick infant.
I shall let Mary describe the memories which had always been conscious, in her own words.
1I had no idea of the seriousness of my little sister's illness. I was not unhappy staying with my grandparents, but one morning I woke up very early. I looked at the clock (I just had learned to read the clock), but I misread it. I thought it was an hour later and I was terribly upset because I would be late for school.
2A few days later the headmistress came into my classroom and