Melanie Klein (1882-1960), a psychoanalyst of the object-relations school, was very influential in the development of child psychoanalysis in Britain. First in Budapest and Berlin and then, after 1926, in London, her analyses of troubled children gave her insights into the psyche that led her to diverge significantly from Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychosexual development and his daughter Anna Freud’s approach to child analysis. Overturning sentimental ideas of childhood innocence, her work was very controversial and eventually divided the British Psychoanalytical Society. However, her ideas have remained influential until today in the analysis of children, adolescents, and adults. In the cultural context, they have also led to an …
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Citation: Clark, Hilary. "Melanie Klein". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 April 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5218, accessed 23 November 2024.]
