La langue des confidences

Abstract

The emergence of German and Italian during the sessions and in dreams, in the analyst and in Anna – both of whom speak these two languages, though Anna is unaware of this fact – reveals her family history against the backcloth of that of Alto Adigio. It is therefore necessary to take into account the complexity of the context of her historical, cultural and social environment in order to fathom her personal suffering of which she is not aware. Her particular usage of these two languages has its place in the structural histories that were imposed on her in terms of the choices that her ancestors and successive political powers presented her with, and which burdened her oedipal construction. Analysis helps her to elaborate the usage that she makes of these two languages, paving the way for elaboration of the Oedipus complex. French, the neutral and benevolent language of the analyst, a language of secrets to express oedipal phantasies, an intimate language between us, becomes a language chosen by her, marking her capacity to free herself from her infantile history.