Perspective

Freud writes all of these essays from the perspective of the inquisitive and detached doctor. Freud, of course, was a doctor, and many of the subjects of these essays are actually drawn from Freud's clinical experience. In all of his work, Freud can sometimes be off-putting by his clear interest and dedication to the subject material combined with his extremely detached stance. He will discuss incest, childhood sexual fantasies, and desires of murder with the clinical detachment that is befitting the cool psychologist, but seems alien to the sentiments that naturally surround these taboo topics. Without this particular perspective, there is no doubt that Freud would be completely unable to approach these topics at all given their nature. To be sure, his work was and is controversial, though less so now that his ideas have filtered into the general culture. If, however, Freud with any hint of inappropriate...