Page:WishfulfillmentAndSymbolism.djvu/39

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SYMBOLISM
29

larity, agreement, likeness, are represented in the dream in the same way by bringing them together into a unity. Are not these moments which necessarily lead to symbolic construction? Then there is further the repression which compels the dream to indicate certain things in other forms, in a symbolism, which however, is only understandable to the initiated and which is hidden from the conscious ego. So much for the construction of symbols in the dream.

The following dream fragment will make us familiar with the symbolism employed therein, which in this case disguises a strong sexual theme.

The bridegroom dreamt. He was in the so-called long street of the town in which he had passed the years of his youth. A forest fire had broken out. He hastened with a certain anguish. Someone is near him whom he does not see. He knows, however, that it is his brother who played a part in the fire department of their native city and indeed in the company which guarded the place. The dreamer noticed that he himself was not in uniform although he should have worn one. He is in civilians clothes and thinks: so goes it. Instead of riding breeches (he himself has been mounted in the military) he wears short English breeches. Instead of a saber he carries a somewhat different instrument, a sort of riding-whip which reminds one, however, more of a cowhide. This he must carry raised in a certain way before him; "so must the saber be carried according to rule" he thought in the dream. With that he hastened in the direction of the burning woods: he passed a house from which dismal cries sounded. There was probably the origin of the fire it seemed to him in the dream.

Whoever has familiarized himself with dream analysis will easily find the sexual symbolism in this dream.

The long street is a passage in the female genitals. In the same sense there are, for example, slanting, upward opening, roof windows which, through an obstruction are with difficulty accessible (hymen). In a similar dream there came down the steep stairs small, naked, smooth headed boys from the school, homunculi, who signified new-born children, who later would manifestly study like papa!

The stove pipe was also often dreamt of in the same way.