Analysis for Jennie, 3 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

It's warm, with a blue carpet, brown leather sofas, a wide screen tv, a bay window and french doors. There is a marble fireplace with a gas fire and expensive hand-painted bird ornaments on the mantle-piece. There is a heavy white painted wooden door in the corner, and a painting of my sister in a ballet dress on the wall.

The initial room is the subject’s childhood. What interests us here is the general atmosphere of the room, in addition to the level of furnishings described by the subject. This comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

They are deciduous trees - oak, beech and sycammore, with lush green leaves. The canopy is thick, but the forest is light. There is little ground vegetation, but a carpet of dry brown leaves that rustle in a faint breeze. I like it here.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Average-sized trees imply the normal influence adults have on a child: neither insignificant nor impressive. A well-lit forest tells us that the subject had considerable freedom at this time.

This is how you described the path:

There is no clear path, but the trees are widely spaced, I am free to walk where I wish, but the further in I go, the closer, denser and darker it becomes. It seems more abandoned further in, and more lonely, but still easy to follow.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. Poor visibility of the path tells us the subject was often confused by the changes brought on by adolescence. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

There is a wide river with large rocks in it like stepping stones, but widely spaced so I have to jump to reach them. The river flows over a water fall, and the water is clear and clean and sparkles in the sunlight. It is cool but nice to paddle in.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Fast-moving water indicates a strong, active sex drive. Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex.

When you came to the water, you crossed it.

The subject is open to new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

it is thick, heavy plastin on the outside, but is a metal container on the inside for insulation. There is a screw-on cap and a leather strap to carry it with. It is dark green and dirty. There is cold water in it.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A practical container indicates that the subject is pragmatic when it comes to questions of marriage.

You took the cup and filled it.

The subject is interested in marriage, and sex will be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

It is large, heavy, brass, and looks very old. It is dull and dark brown and long. it probably opens a heavy wooden door in a mysterious place.

The key is the ideal career for the subject. What interests us here is how the key appears (representing how others view the career) and what it may open (representing the subject’s goals for the career). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense approach.

When you came to the wall, you jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.

This subject originally chose to walk around the wall, but resubmitted the test with this change. Curious…