VI

The Roman numeral VI (6), is pronounced "sex" in Latin. This is a really bad unintentional pun since the chapter in which most of Freud's sexual symbol content is none other than Chapter VI, the chapter on symbolism.

On general symbolism, Freud states the obvious when he says that "dreams employ...symbolism to give a disguised representation to their latent [i.e.: unconscious] thoughts". He goes on saying that "it is impossible to arrive at the interpretation of a dream if one excludes dream-symbolism." This is true; if the unconscious thoughts are hidden, then symbolism must be employed to get the entire picture (anything else, and you're missing out on key details and processes). However, Freud gives us a warning, "At the same time, I must expressly warn...against overestimating the importance of symbols in the interpretation of dreams, restricting the work of dream-translation to the translation of symbols, and neglecting the technique of utilizing the associations of the dreamer." Basically, don't use symbolism, exclusively, 'cause then you're also missing out on the dreamer. Symbols are symbols, everyone has them, but they gain true, unique meaning when you consider the details and associations specific to the dreamer.

On sexual symbols, Freud has quite an imaginative list. For the phallus, there are trees, sticks, and buildings (obvious), and then there are umbrellas (which "open" up, or expand). For females, there are ovens, and cupboards (things with open spaces), and then there are round tables (Freud is implying that women generally have no "corners", i.e.: they have "curves"). Further symbolism includes machinery for the testes (they work all the time, and "never" tire)...and then there are hair cuts which represent castration. Many of these are gigantic stretches. Here's an example that Freud uses: A 35 year old man remembers a dream in his childhood where regularly gets two pears. The man (or boy) eats one and leaves the other on a window sill. Then he woke up, thinking it was real and asks his mother for the other pear (there isn't one to begin with). Now, out of the dream, the man's mother breast-fed him a little longer than usual. So, what Freud comes up with is that the pears are the breasts and the window sill is the bosom. Eating one pear represents breast-feeding (the action has been done, so the pear is gone). Seeking another pear is seeking breast-feeding again. I say, this is a stretch...but with Freud, a lot of things seem far-fetched.

Note that I am skipping a lot of inappropriate content and so I'll finish up with Freud's specific warning with regard to sexual symbols: "In dream-interpretation this importance of the sexual complexes must never be forgotten, though one must not, of course, exaggerate it to the exclusion of all other factors." I think he's forgotten this himself, because he often uses sexual symbolism alone, or that's how it seems. Regardless, this warning, in conjunction with what I mentioned at the very beginning (Freud's warning on symbols), are useful guidelines to avoid exaggeration with dream-interpretation.