Use of a Holocaust fantasy for the consolidation of identity.

The early phases of an analysis are presented to describe a Jewish woman who, in her adolescence, chose a Holocaust fantasy as a means of consolidating her sense of identity. Her fantasy did what any fantasy or symptom does: it served as a compromise formation allowing expression of unacceptable drives while at the same time displacing, disguising, and defending against those drives. This fantasy was unique, however, because the Holocaust was a real event. Two questions are raised: Did the quality of her drives or her fears of them influence her choice of this particular fantasy? Once chosen, did the use of a fantasy based on a reality contribute to the development of her rigid character structure? Similarities between this woman and Holocaust survivors are noted. It was felt that she differed from Holocaust survivors in that she could choose this fantasy, which would have been too real for a Holocaust survivor, and she could use this fantasy constructively to work through intrapsychic conflicts.