I answer, of course, that only the analysis can decide the meaning of this dream, although I admit that at first sight it seems sensible and coherent, and looks like the opposite of a wish-fulfillment.  “But what occurrence has given rise to this dream?” I ask.  “You know that the stimulus for a dream always lies among the experiences of the preceding day.”

Analysis.—­The husband of the patient, an upright and conscientious wholesale butcher, had told her the day before that he is growing too fat, and that he must, therefore, begin treatment for obesity.  He was going to get up early, take exercise, keep to a strict diet, and above all accept no more invitations to suppers.  She proceeds laughingly to relate how her husband at an inn table had made the acquaintance of an artist, who insisted upon painting his portrait because he, the painter, had never found such an expressive head.  But her husband had answered in his rough way, that he was very thankful for the honor, but that he was quite convinced that a portion of the backside of a pretty young girl would please the artist better than his whole face[1].  She said that she was at the time very much in love with her husband, and teased him a good deal.  She had also asked him not to send her any caviare.  What does that mean?

As a matter of fact, she had wanted for a long time to eat a caviare sandwich every forenoon, but had grudged herself the expense.  Of course, she would at once get the caviare from her husband, as soon as she asked him for it.  But she had begged him, on the contrary, not to send her the caviare, in order that she might tease him about it longer.

This explanation seems far-fetched to me.  Unadmitted motives are in the habit of hiding behind such unsatisfactory explanations.  We are reminded of subjects hypnotized by Bernheim, who carried out a posthypnotic order, and who, upon being asked for their motives, instead of answering:  “I do not know why I did that,” had to invent a reason that was obviously inadequate.  Something similar is probably the case with the caviare of my patient.  I see that she is compelled to create an unfulfilled wish in life.  Her dream also shows the reproduction of the wish as accomplished.  But why does she need an unfulfilled wish?

The ideas so far produced are insufficient for the interpretation of the dream.  I beg for more.  After a short pause, which corresponds to the overcoming of a resistance, she reports further that the day before she had made a visit to a friend, of whom she is really jealous, because her husband is always praising this woman so much.  Fortunately, this friend is very lean and thin, and her husband likes well-rounded figures.  Now of what did this lean friend speak?  Naturally of her wish to become somewhat stouter.  She also asked my patient:  “When are you going to invite us again?  You always have such a good table.”