fei75766_ch05_149-178.indd 150  02/06/20 11:22 AM
Part II    Psychodynamic Theories150
Melanie Klein, thewoman whodeveloped atheory thatemphasized thenurtur -
ingandloving relationship between parent andchild, hadneither anurturant 
noraloving relationship withherowndaughter Melitta. Theriftbetween mother and
daughter began early. Melitta wastheoldest ofthree children borntoparents whodid
notparticularly likeoneanother. When Melitta was15,herparents separated, and
Melitta blamed hermother forthisseparation andforthedivorce thatfollowed. As
Melitta matured, herrelationship withhermother became more acrimonious.
After Melitta received amedical degree, underwent apersonal analysis, and
presented scholarly papers totheBritish Psycho-Analytical Society, shewasofficially 
amember ofthatsociety, professionally equal tohermother.
Heranalyst, Edward Glover, wasabitter rivalofMelanie Klein. Glover, who
encouraged Melitta’s independence, wasatleastindirectly responsible forMelitta’s vir-
ulent attacks onhermother. Theanimosity between mother anddaughter became even
more intense when Melitta married Walter Schmideberg, another analyst whostrongly 
opposed Klein andwhoopenly supported Anna Freud, Klein’s most bitter rival.
Despite being afullmember oftheBritish Psycho-Analytical Society, Melitta 
Schmideberg feltthathermother sawherasanappendage, notacolleague. Ina
strongly worded letter tohermother inthesummer of1934, Melitta wrote:
Ihope youwill...alsoallow metogiveyousome advice. ...Iamverydifferent 
from you.Ialready toldyouyears agothatnothing causes aworse reaction inme
thantrying toforce feelings intome—it isthesurest waytokillallfeelings. ...Iam
nowgrown upandmust beindependent. Ihavemyownlife,myhusband. (Quoted 
inGrosskurth, 1986, p.199)
Melitta went ontosaythatshewould nolonger relate tohermother intheneurotic 
manner ofheryounger years. Shenowhadashared profession withhermother and
insisted thatshebetreated asanequal.
Thestory ofMelanie Klein andherdaughter takes onanewperspective in
lightoftheemphasis thatobject relations theory places ontheimportance ofthe
mother–child relationship.
Overview of Object Relations Theory
Theobject relations theory ofMelanie Klein wasbuiltoncareful observations of
young children. Incontrast toFreud, whoemphasized thefirst4–6years oflife,
Klein stressed theimportance ofthefirst4–6months afterbirth. Sheinsisted thatthe
infant’s drives (hunger, sex,andsoforth) aredirected toanobject—a breast, apenis, 
avagina, andsoon.According toKlein, thechild’s relation tothebreast isfunda -
mental andserves asaprototype forlaterrelations towhole objects, suchasmother 
andfather. Theveryearly tendency ofinfants torelate topartial objects gives their
experiences anunrealistic orfantasy-like quality thataffects alllaterinterpersonal 
relations. Thus, Klein’s ideas tendtoshiftthefocus ofpsychoanalytic theory from 
organically based stages ofdevelopment totheroleofearly fantasy intheformation 
ofinterpersonal relationships.
Inaddition toKlein, other theorists havespeculated ontheimportance ofa
child’s early experiences withthemother. Margaret Mahler believed thatchildren’s Final PDF to printer