Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

denied admission but he waited outside whilehis mother found and identified his father'sbody. He was taken to the funeral and to theearly visits to his father's grave. After that hefell ill with tonsillitis and was taken to the hospitalwhere he came down with scarlet fever.For his mother the separation from the childrenewed the shock which she had receivedfrom the father's death. She believed Bertiedead also and began to search for him inthe same frantic manner. Her psychotic attackwith hallucinations followed soon after. Themother's cousin repeatedly said how goodBertie had been to his mother and how he hadtried to comfort her in every way.Since we knew the story we tried carefullyto lead back Bertie's mind to his past experiences.He would now admit that his motherwas in the hospital.Certain things reappeared which he hadprobably been told during his hospital time:He should always eat his midday meal like hisfather, then he would soon be a big boy andwould be taken to visit his mother.Whenever anybody asked what he wanted tobe, he would say automatically and quickly:"Big boy". When questioned about his fatherhe said: "He is a workman who tidies awaythe bricks from the houses which Hitler threwdown".126