ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the nature of the state of mind known as "latency" and its function in the developing personality of the child. Chronologically the period characterized by "latency" roughly corresponds to the primary school years of five to eleven. It begins by drawing on clinical examples to illustrate both theoretical notions about latency and some of the characteristic anxieties and problems of the age. The chapter also explores some aspects of children's literature, especially those which lend further life and clarity to the complexities of latency states of mind. These aspects also stress the creative and imaginative ways in which stories and make-believe can enrich the child's capacity to negotiate some of the developmental hurdles which are particular to this age group. The "establishing" of a secure latency period of the sort that can effectively prepare the individual for life to come depends, in part, on the strength of the instinctual energy which has to be diverted.
