ABSTRACT

Most stories have many versions, and the Greek myths concerning Narcissus and Echo are no exception. Narcissus' insensitive rejection and Echo's adhesive identification both express failures to negotiate a crucial turning point in human growth. In healthy development identification with, and introjections of, the object is flexible and progressive. Archetypal splits are usually addressed during family interactions and rendered human-sized. Myths and tales from all cultures deal with this issue. For most young children, the idealisation and the ferocity in 'fairy-tales' makes sense in terms of their own blissful or murderous fantasies and impulses. In psycho-sexual development, the baby boy's first identification is with his mother, and in order to establish his gender identity the male infant must adjust to the not-female or not-mother bias, and form a positive identification with the father. For a girl, gender identity is built on her primary identification with her mother.