ABSTRACT
The child who grows up in a world that denies him love and safety, and who longs to be cared for, relinquishes all control to an internal figure that offers protection but in return demands unquestioning allegiance and unreflecting obedience. The imbalance of power between the fearful affects and the defences used to manage them bears a close resemblance to the imbalance of power that exists in authoritarian political regimes. This chapter illustrates how reconciliation of differences depends on both sides' ability to communicate and rediscover their untapped potentials through one of the Grimm brothers' lesser known fairy tale, The Bearskinner, as retold by Schlitz and Grafe. Redfearn, echoing the work of Jung, argues that an individual cannot be helped to move beyond his habitual way of being until he is aware of his inner conflicts.
