This paper compares and contrasts two fairytales, ‘The Two Old Friends’ and ‘Snow White’, taking them as allegories for narcissistic and borderline patterns. We will begin with the suggestion of their shared roots in adhesive anxiety based on the work of Kleinian analyst Esther Bick. We will then look at how these two defensive strategies diverge on the threshold of symbol formation and how Michael Fordham’s ideas may be seen at play within the unfolding stories. Finally, a sense of how the ending in both stories might help us to envision healthy prognosis.
Narcissistic and Borderline Motifs in Fairytales
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