Freud's Spanish: Bilingualism and Bisexuality

Abstract

This article examines Freud's use of the Spanish language during his adolescent years. Based on an analysis of Freud's letters to Eduard Silberstein, Gallo examines the different affective relationship to Spanish and German: one was the language of love, the other the tongue of reason. The article links Freud's Spanish to his reading of Cervantes's Exemplary Novels and shows that a young Freud imitated the Cervantine portrayal of a dangerous female sexuality. Spanish was a secret language for Freud, one that he never used again after his correspondence with Silberstein came to an end.

Freud in Trieste: Journey to an Ambiguous City

“…Rubén Gallo (2009) gives a broad analysis of the linguistic implications of the correspondence between Freud and Silberstein. marine species: '[S]ince it is not allowed to dissect human beings, I really have nothing to do with them' (Freud, 1990, p. 146).…”