Chapter 4 (pp. 26-32) Summary and Analysis

Freud opens Chapter 4 by insisting that even in confused dreams, some sort of transformation has occurred in order to fulfill some kind of wish. The occurrences from Freud's specimen dream can again be analyzed. Freud wished his wife would turn her attention to him at dinner. In his dream, the opposite happened and a woman he cares nothing for turns her attention to him. The dream is fulfilled because a disagreeable situation gives rise to an unsuitable wish fulfillment. Freud further presses on to assert that dream work involves compression and condensation on a large scale. The deeper Frued delves into his dream work, the more impressive dream analysis becomes. Futhermore, dreams seem to be composed of more than one experience or impression.

Freud reveals that he once had a dream of being at a swimming pool...