Abstract

ALMEIDA, Alexandre Patricio de. Melanie Klein and the symbol formation process: revisiting the Dick case. Estilos clin. [online]. 2020, vol.25, n.3, pp.552-567. ISSN 1415-7128.  https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-1624.v25i3p552-567.

This article presents the main contributions of Melanie Klein regarding the understanding of the process of formation of symbols in the psyche. To this end, the discussion begins by punctuating some historical aspects of the clinic and Kleinian thought, by highlighting his elaborations about the learning process and the analysis of playing. The notion of the internal world and the importance of primitive object relations are briefly described. Then, the case of Dick is discussed, a patient supposedly autistic treated by Klein and who was crucial for the author to rethink her analysis practices and the very origin of the symbolic function. In order to complement the discussion, we cite the collaborations of Hanna Segal, a psychoanalyst who studied the topic in depth, weaving original additions. Finally, a possible reflection on the analyst's performance in challenging contexts is suggested.

Keywords : Melanie Klein; clinic; childhood; symbol; psychoanalysis.

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