Topsy is a psychoanalytic tale of the effects of a dog on its
owner; the analyst is the great Marie Bonaparte. Only after being
told that her dog had cancer did she realize the attachment she
developed to Topsy. She describes the emotions she experienced
during the time of Topsy's illness and subsequent healing. Written
in France and Greece at the onset of World War II, the story of
Topsy's cancer clearly is intended to convey the ills of Europe at
that time.
Bonaparte's relationship with her dog reveals her own fears
about aging, dying, being alone, as well as the uncertainty of the
political situation. As she tells her story, Bonaparte is reminded
of the experience of her father, who also suffered from cancer.
Topsy, while not written as a scientific study, provides insight
into the psychoanalytical effects of relationships between humans
and animals. It tells us much about one of psychotherapy's founding
personages as well as the members of her professional circle in a
critical period of European history.
In the new introduction, Gary Genosko reflects on Sigmund
Freud's own affection for, and use of, dogs in his analyses. He
goes on to describe the relationship between Freud and Bonaparte
and how dogs played a significant part in that companionship. Topsy
will be of interest to psychologists, psychiatrists, and those who
love, and have been loved by dogs.
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