ABSTRACT
Born into a wealthy family in Buffalo in 1879, Mabel Ganson was an only child whose parents were drastically unhappy and deeply estranged, their vast economic privilege derived solely from inheritance. Her father's despair and violent moods permeated her childhood years, and the atmosphere in her home was barren of any closeness or warmth. Ganson emerged from this upbringing as a determined and highly spirited young lady, a rebel against the Victorian values of the society in which she was raised. Freud's theories about the unconscious, hidden motives driven by primitive or sexual desires, and dreams as conveyors of meaning were of enormous appeal to the American avant-garde, who were in search of the newest trends. Many American intellectuals fervently adopted Freud's view of the world and began analyzing everything about themselves and those around them. The aim of such activity was often the discovery of a real or authentic self, stripped of dishonest facades and hypocritical stances.
