ABSTRACT
In his seminar of 1956-1957 on object-relations (Seminar IV) and in a presentation at the 1958 Royaumont conference, Lacan discussed a case-study by Ruth Lebovici of a patient designated as Yves. When commenting on the case, Lacan expressed his appreciation for Lebovici’s clinical honesty, and he also showed how her continuous self-critical reflection upon the validity of her interpretations had testified to her cautious application of object-relations theory. However, whilst agreeing with Lebovici’s diagnosis of Yves’ condition as a phobia, Lacan also re-interpreted her patient’s transitory sexual perversion, which revolves around the desire to observe women urinating, as the outcome of a series of technical faux-pas. In this chapter, Lacan’s argument is reconstructed with particular emphasis on his proposition that the analyst’s interpretation of the transference triggers the acting out of the patient’s fantasy. The chapter serves as an introduction to Lebovici’s case and as a guide for re-reading it through the lens of Lacan’s own conception of psychoanalytic practice during the mid-1950s.
