[The Freud-Ferenczi relationship studied in the light of their correspondence]

The Freud-Ferenczi relationship was a more complex one than it is commonly thought to have been in psychoanalytic circles. It started in a less idyllic manner than it is said to have done, and it did not end in the breaking off of their relationship as many believe it did. Nonetheless, the two men were possessed of very dissimilar temperaments: the nature of the demands they made on each other were complementary, but impossible to satisfy. This situation led to a number of cases of friction which appeared in association with several major events, but evidence of these conflicts is also to be found in a number of small signs that can be detected throughout the correspondence between the two men. Despite the great complexity of emotions at play in their relationship, it resulted in a strong and loyal friendship that withstood the most directly expressed differences in opinion.