CHAPTER 2 CHARACTERISTIC ELEMENTS IN THE HANDWRITING OF DEVIANTS

Deviations appear as follows: 1. Leftward swinging lower lengths, a sign of incomplete detachment from the mother in the pre-Oedipal phase.

2.

Irregular, crippled middle zone, indicating poor self-confidence and wea !od"-ego.

#.

$ea ness of the stro e picture, revealing a wea ego and wea !od"-ego.

%.

$ea , crippled I-pronoun, disclosing a small ego-image. &. (. 'riangular, sharp-cut lower loops, demonstrating great irrita!ilit". Long, sha ", loosel" hanging lower loops, demonstrating a wea li!ido. 'he writer does not have sufficient energ" to

).

complete a round loop which crosses the !aseline. *m!ivalent writing, where staggering slant tips !oth leftward and rightward in the same script. *m!ivalent handwriting, when com!ined with an e+tremel" wea middle zone, is an even stronger indication of deviation. -ightward-slanted counterstro es in the lower e+tensions, which include !oth looped and unlooped structures, esta!lishing the writer.s re!ellion against societ".s accepta!le modes of fulfilling se+ual instincts.

,.

/. 11. 0rippled lower loop construction, indicating distur!ance in the li!ido. 0ircled i-dots, signs of narcissistic residue from the phallic-narcissistic phase.

11. 'he I-pronoun, when either the upper or lower part resem!les a phallus, revealing complete regression into the phallicnarcissistic phase. 12. 'he enrolled I-pronoun, em!r"onic forms indicating regression to the oral phase and longing for return to the earl" union

with the mother. 1#. 2+treme narrowness, sharpness, rigidit" and pedantic order of the script arrangement, showing residual sadistic impulses from the oral and anal phases, sometimes depicting a full" developed anal-sadistic character.

1%. 2+cessive animus in a female.s handwriting. 1&. 2+cessive anima in a male.s script. 1(. $avering lines, demonstrating lac of willpower, as seen in this wea , passive masochistic homose+ual.s handwriting. 1). 3alling lines, graphicall" depicting depression and melancholia, often seen in the script of artistic homose+uals.

1,. $ide spaces !etween words and lines, demonstrating loneliness and isolation. 4uch wide spaces, especiall" when com!ined with falling lines, descri!e the deviant.s fears which let him escape into regression.

51/6 In -filled vowels a and o, and the circular heads of the e and g, esta!lish secrec", covering up, anal-erotic attitudes.

Regression to Phalli !Nar issisti Phase

'his script is that of a homose+ual whose mother died when he was three "ears old. 7e !ecame his father.s surrogate spouse, ta ing care of the "oung children until the" finished their schooling. 'he father never remarried, and this !o" adored him immensel". $e see no mother-image in the I-pronoun, onl" an enormous phallic s"m!ol, the fatherimage. 3urthermore, during the conversation this writer doodled these odd fantasies which contain more male than female s"m!ols. 'his handwriting e+hi!its a distinct case of regression into the phallic-narcissistic phase of ps"chose+ual development. 'he !o" never confronted the Oedipal situation and wooing of the mother, as there was no mother in the famil". 'he transition to homose+ualit" was therefore easil" accomplished.

CHAPTER " THEORIES OF HOMOSE#$ALIT%

*ccording to the ps"choanal"tic concept, strong fears and an+ieties appear when the !iological instincts grow too powerful to !e controlled !" inner defense mechanisms. 'he deviant.s defense mechanisms in the ps"cho-se+ual stages of development are inade8uate, insufficient and wea due to pre-Oedipal failures. 'he deviant suffers from certain fears: detachment and merging an+ieties, !od"-ego fears, and destruction fears. Detaching and merging fears occur when the child is afraid of detaching from the mother "et at the same time afraid of returning to the same close relationship the" shared during the dual union of the oral phase. 9oth an+ieties represent fear of ego loss and insecurit". 9od"-ego fears occur when, !ecause of incomplete detachment from the mother, the child.s development is arrested. Instead of pla"ing with other children, he escapes into his mother.s lap and has no chance to !uild his own !od" strength. In the anal phase, the !o" fears losing his penis as easil" as his e+crement. In the Oedipal phase, this fear is reawa ened and intensified, especiall" if the !o" has the opportunit" to see girls, who lac a penis. 7erein lies one root of the fear of women. Destruction fears occur !ecause the deviant !o" has not completel" learned how to neutralize the oral and anal-aggressive impulses of the pre-Oedipal conflict. 7e could neither woo his mother !ecause he was still clinging to her, nor could he identif" with his father, !ecause his ego was not strong enough to fight him or to measure against him as a rival. 'herefore the !o" avoids the Oedipal conflict altogether, !ut at the price of not overcoming castration fears. :ow he must continuousl" invent defense mechanisms to cope with his fears. Defense mechanisms are regression, denial, and identification with the aggressor. -egression occurs when a situation !ecomes un!eara!le and cannot !e resolved, such as in a case of unre8uited love. -egression involves falling !ac into the earlier genital-development phases, where the li!ido concentrates more upon the infantile erotogenic zones of an earlier ps"chose+ual development state. 2speciall" in homose+ualit", where the se+ual impulses of the Oedipal phase have not !een successfull" mastered, the deviant reverts to e+pressions of se+ualit" e+perienced in the oral, anal, and phallic-narcissistic phases. 4uch e+pressions were called partial instincts: the" include e+hi!itionism, vo"eurism, and sadomasochism. 7owever, in normal development the" serve as preliminaries to coitus and eventuall" e+tinguish themselves. 9ut such partial instincts or impulses often serve e+clusivel" and compulsivel" the satisfaction of the deviant.s se+ual needs. 'he" serve as soldiers who attac the an+ieties and fears and create an important ps"chic and mental !alance for the deviant.

Denial is another form of warding off an+ieties. In homoe+uals, denial serves especiall" to repress the fear of castration. In the ;erman movie Taxi Zum Klo, the homose+ual character, 3ran -ipplich, spea s with disgust and lac of understanding a!out the la!"rinth of the female genitals. In the unconscious fantas" of the deviant, the female genitals are the manifest result of castration. 3aced with this !elief, the deviant regresses to his supposition during the anal phase that ever"one has a penis. 2ver"one has a penis, therefore castration is non-e+istent, and thus does the deviant den" his fears. * third defense mechanism is identification with the aggressor. 'his occurs in severe aggression, such as in sadomasochistic e+changes. 'hrough the sadomasochistic e+change, each of the partners pro<ect se+ual impulses onto the other and at the same time identifies himself with the other. Destruction an+ieties are minimized, !ecause all aggressions against the partner are also directed towards the self and there!" !ecome a part of one.s own punishment. 4plitting is a mechanism where!" the deviant limits his regression of impulses and ego strictl" to the domain of se+ualit"= the personalit" remains intact. 4plitting ma es it possi!le for the deviant.s impulses to !e en<o"ed without falling under the control of the superego. 'he genital form of se+ualit"--coitus--does not ta e place, !ut the capacit" for orgasm remains. 'he mental !alance and the social !ehavior of the deviant are untouched. 3reud alwa"s emphasized that the efficient functioning of the deviant is not wea ened. On the contrar", most deviants have an e+tremel" high intellectual and cultural refinement. 2. 4chorsch, in Psychopathology of Sexuality 5 1/)#6, distinguished four different deviant groups. 'he first group consists of those who accept their deviation !ecause it is !uilt into a successful love relationship. 'here are no an+ieties, no guilt comple+es, <ust freedom and securit" in a happ" partnership. 'he second group comprises those who accept the deviation !ut who will not integrate it into a successful partnership. >ost deviants of this group have heterose+ual marriages !ut act out their deviant impulses in secret, either in fantas", in !ordellos, or in low-cultured circles. In the third group, deviant impulses give rise to heav" an+iet", guilt and shame comple+es. 'he deviant tries in vain to suppress those strange and hated impulses, !ut since he successfull" avoided the Oedipal conflict, the superego remains undeveloped and leaves him with fear of punishment. 'he fourth group consists of men whose deviant impulses are successfull" warded off and denied until, under to+ic influences, such as alcohol or drugs, the deviant might suddenl" !e surprised !" his strange impulses, act on them, and remain helpless and em!arrassed in the face of his incomprehensi!le actions. -epression of homose+ual impulses in most adult men is so successful that no conscious feeling of desire remains. Of particular interest to us here are several men whom 4chorsch would place in the third categor". 'homas >ann and D. 7. Lawrence are not nown homose+uals, !ut !oth treated homoerotic themes and situations e+tensivel" in their writings. Con&itions o' Ho(ose)*alit+ $hether 3reudian theor" is admitted or not in understanding homose+ualit", the stages of ps"chose+ual development, as descri!ed !" 3reud, are now commonl" recognized as critical in the development of the human personalit". 3reud emphasized, in his Sexual Theories, that the Oedipal phase is the transition point in ps"chose+ual development: On this pivotal point culminates the pregenital infantile se+ualit" which influences decidedl" the se+ualit" of the grown-up. 2ach human newcomer has to overcome the Oedipus conflict situation. 'he one who fails is hopelessl" !ound to !ecome a neurotic. 3reud also e+plains wh" neurosis is the ?negative? of deviation: ?'he se+ual life of a neurotic has the same !eginning as that of a deviant. * large part of his childhood is filled with perverse se+ual activit" which often e+tends far !e"ond, into maturit". 'hen, for inner reasons, a sudden suppression occurs and without the a!ilit" to e+tinguish the former impulses, deviation will !e supplanted !" neurosis.? 3reud also !elieved that the tendencies toward arrested se+ual development were partl" in!orn: ?4ome !o"s simpl" lac the se+ual drive of others= some !o"s are more aggressive, some more passive.? In the !eginning, the child is self-centered, autoerotic and narcissistic. 4ome never outgrow this stage and are una!le to love an"one !ut themselves. *s Oscar $ilde, said, ?'he longest and most satisf"ing love affair is the love with "ourself.? :ormall", however, a little !o" falls in love with his mother, with resultant <ealous" and hostilit" toward his father. 4ome !o"s never outgrow this tendenc". *s adults, the" ma" tr" to !e an e+act cop" of their adored mother, pla"ing a passive role in life. On the other hand, the" ma" react !" growing fearful of all women. 3reud condemns mothers whose overpowering love for their sons has incestuous overtones. 'hese oversolicitous mothers often regard their sons as replacements for hus!ands with whom the" have !ecome disillusioned, as in the case of D. 7. Lawrence.

*ll the mother.s e+pectations and hopes now !ecome focused on the !o". If the father is hostile, wea , and indifferent, the !o" tends to !e torn !etween a strong mother who spoils him and an uncaring father. 0onse8uentl", the !o" feels self-contempt, insecurit" and worthlessness, and he retreats to the less threatening world of homose+uals. :ot one of @inse".s 11( homose+ual cases had a normal relationship with father and mother. >an" deviants have similar up!ringings. Often !orn out of wedloc , the" grow up without fathers. Lonel", sh" and an+ious, the" sometimes have earl" se+ual relations with adults. Au!ert" !egins earl", and mastur!ation pla"s an important part. *s a !o", :i<ins ", the famous -ussian dancer, suffered from the compulsion to suppress his desire for nightl" mastur!ation, until he decided to channel all of his compulsiveness into !allet. *s we now, he won his inner !attle and !ecame the world.s greatest dancer. In all deviations, normal genital intercourse--coitus--is e+cluded. 3reud proved, in his theor" of ps"chose+ual development, that man" of the deviant.s se+ual activities leave him se+uall" unsatisfied. 'herefore, he is compelled to repeat them often. Aarado+icall", the more the deviant su!mits to his impulses, the more disappointment there is and the less se+ual fulfillment. One homose+ual responded, when I as ed what he wanted for 0hristmas, ?4e+, se+, se+.? *s mentioned earlier, the turning point from normalc" to deviance occurs during the Oedipal conflict. In resolving the Oedipal conflict, the !o" gives up wooing his mother, identif"ing himself with the stronger father. 7e there!" strengthens his superego and moves through the genital phase of pu!ert", which leads to interest in heterose+ual relationships. 'he deviant !o" does not achieve independence from his mother. On the contrar", he has an a!iding fear of losing her. 'o this are added the earlier, pre-Oedipal an+ieties, such as the aggressive impulses of the oral phase 5!iting the nipples6 and the sadistic instincts and fear of the anal phase. 4uch a com!ination of an+ieties ma es it difficult for the deviant !o" to cope with the Oedipus conflict and denies the necessar" maturit" which can !e gained onl" through further development. 'here is no identification with a stronger father, to !ecome a strong se+ual male himself= no further ego development and no reinforcement !" the superego to form the !asis for a mature conscience. >ale identit" and male se+ualit" remain full of pro!lems, the separation from parents remains incomplete, relationships with women are full of conflicts and an+ieties, and the superego sta"s wea and immature.4ome facts which can lead to homose+ualit" are: 1. 'he un!alanced love of a !o" for an overpowering mother, which ma" reach heights of ph"sical desire from which there is no escape 2. * !o".s effort to replace his father. 'he father might !e divorced, dead, or inade8uate, so the !o" tries to supplant him for the mother.s sa e #. * !o".s identification with his mother %. Lac of love from the mother, or her loss through death or divorce. 'hen, the !o" tries to replace his mother, supplanting her for the father.s sa e, assuming the role of wife and lover &. Inade8uate se+ual education, including a horror of se+, !ecause it is descri!ed in such lurid terms that the entire idea of se+ is not lin ed with the idea of love !etween men and women (. 'he idolization of women as pure o!<ects to remain untouched, and suppression of ever" desire as vice ). Aredominance of effeminac" due to ph"sical wea ness, withdrawal from competition with males, for instance in school, from competition in sports. 'his withdrawal is later transferred to the fear of entering the competition for women ,. Identification with girls !ecause of feminine preferences, such as a li ing for em!roider" /. Introduction to successful homose+ual seducers during adolescence 11. Deprivation of normal heterose+ual relationships in certain environments, such as in prisons, !oarding schools, and the militar" 4ome !o"s are predisposed to homose+ualit". ,&B are indistinguisha!le from normal men in appearance and mannerisms. 4tudies of heredit", and the influences of other !iological factors, have !een largel" inconclusive. 2+cept in rare cases, deviants do not differ from normal individuals in chromosomes or se+ hormones. 3actors which can contri!ute to les!ianism are: 1. 3ear of pregnanc" or venereal disease 2. 7eterose+ual trauma or disappointment #. Disappointment with males %. $atching parents. se+ual intercourse during childhood 5 3reud.s socalled ?primal scene?6 &. 4eduction !" older females (. Aenis env" and castration comple+ ). 2+cessive self-gratification 5mastur!ation6 ,. 3ather-fi+ation or hatred of the mother /. 0ontinuation of the !ise+ual phase, a fi+ation at an adolescent stage of ps"chose+ual development 5the narcissistic regression of the phallicnarcissistic phase6 11. 3light from incestuous desires. 'he father ma" manifest a seductive attitude towards his daughter, who !ecomes frightened of se+ual contact with men On Ani(*s an& Ani(a in Han&,riting 2ach person has inherited from his or her father and mother, !oth male and female characteristics. 'he daughter, for instance, has inherited male elements from her father which remain mostl" unconscious, !ut which ma e a stri ing impression in her actions. 7ow often we find a father who is proud of his pon"-riding daughter who later achieves advanced degrees from a

universit". 4he has a strong animus--the male part of her soul--and she is energetic, determined, intelligent, lo"al conscientious, punctual and relia!le. $omen with such strong animus are aggressive, have their own will and li e to have the last word. 4trong handwriting reveals a high degree of animus. * high degree of animus in the handwriting of a woman often indicates a preference to love the neglected female parts of herself !" loving another woman. 'he female part of the soul in a man is called anima. 9ecause it lives in his unconscious, the man is una!le to control it. 7e is sometimes una!le to fight strong, impulsive changes in thin ing and action. >en whose handwriting reveals a high degree of anima often prefer men as lovers, !ecause the" e+perience their anima much more strongl" than their masculinit". 'hese men, who pro<ect their anima onto those of their own gender, are homose+uals who reveal their female character as in a distorted mirror of femininit". 'he" are more capricious than women, more sentimental, full of fantas", en<o"ing gossip, with strong theatrical gifts and a tendenc" to create ?scenes.? 4ome homose+ual men prefer to dress li e women. 7ere we are not tal ing a!out transvestites, !ut a!out ?drag 8ueens.? 'he" are famous for their love of soft fa!rics and are e+cellent at em!roider". 4uperior coo s, the" receive guests with charm and distinction. 'he" are talented artists who surround themselves with precious anti8ues, anti8uities and lu+uries. 'he" tend to !e e+travagant and wasteful, or ver" sting" if the anal t"pe. 'heir handwriting loo s similar to a tender, delicate woman.s writing. 4ome male artists and writers, such as D. 7. Lawrence, are receptive to the messages of their anima. 3rom an a!ilit" to consciousl" e+perience !oth ones animus and anima comes a wealth of creativit". T+-i al Sa(-les o' Ho(ose)*al Han&,riting

In this sample from a male homose+ual, we see more anima than animus, a wea stro e picture without li!ido, and the tender, delicate, masochistic attitude of a surrendering lover in the small lower loops. Cowels are closed and !lotted. 'he downstro es are so thin that one fears that the" will disappear !efore the" reach the !aseline--the" s"m!olize an avoidance of realit" and escape into illusions and dreams.

'"pical homose+ual traits in this script are the crippled middle zone and lower lengths swinging to the left, which are a sign of incomplete detachment from the mother in the pre-Oedipal phase= wea ness of the stro e picture, which reveals a wea ego and wea !od"-ego= a crippled I-pronoun= and !lotted vowels, which picture secrec" and anal comple+. 'he e+tremel" small and wavering script indicates moodiness and wea self-esteem, a regression or creeping inside himself due to the deviant.s t"pical fears of castration, !od"-ego fears, detachment and merging fears, and destruction fears. >ost of the downstro es are !ent-in to the left, indicating directional pressure from the past. 'his writer has suffered, since childhood, for !eing different. 'he am!ivalence of his character is visi!le in the irregular slant. 7is emotions are crashing through the gates of control. 4ome lower loops are so crippled that one feels the writer has no roots or sta!ilit", as in the last word, sample. Aressure from a!ove 5having to give in to parental and school authorities all his life6 is seen in the flat heads of the capital g.s, as if some invisi!le weight lies as a !urden on his !od". 'his "oung man is engaged in a perpetual struggle !etween e+pressing himself and comformit". 'he wide distances !etween lines and sometimes words, show his inner isolation.

0ircular i-dots indicate self-involvement. Lower lengths, passivel" hanging to the right, show his turning against a normal se+ drive.

'he handwriting of a 3rench male 5reduced to fit on the facing page6 presents t"pical homose+ual elements in the crippled, irregular middle zone= in the fluctuating slant= and in irregular lower loops with sha " downstro es, such as the j in Bonjour 516, the y in physique 5&6, and the g in galement 5116. 'he unfulfilled lower loops which do not return to the !aseline, such as the g.s in gnral 5#6 and compagnie 5#6 s"m!olize lac of se+ual fulfillment. 'he slow, mood" en<o"ment in the fluctuating width of the word occasionellement 5116 indicates am!ivalence. 'he dissolution of form and the occasional triangular t indicate a lac of sta!ilit", wea !od" ego and wea decision-ma ing capa!ilities. 'his is in spite of the application of e+traordinar" discipline in the overall organization, with its straight lines and even left margins. 'he !eautiful curves in the B of Bonjour 516, the C.s in Conrad 516, Crois 5&6 and Compagnie 51#6 reveal his aesthetic sensi!ilit".

$ould we !e a!le to recognize from the handwriting that this writer spent the first decades of his successful life in a normal marriage, had two children with his wife and now leaves the famil" to enter a love relationship with a "oung manD $h" is the attraction so overwhelmingl" influentialD 'he e+tremel" regulated script !espea s a completel" controlled character, whose leftwards swinging lower loops of the g in eating, and the y in my and the crippled, meager lower lengths displa" his need for different se+ual !onds than he had previousl". 'he stiff, even, high, almost monotonousl" appearing middle zone seems to carr" a steel armor of self-control, which serves as a form of protection li e the armor of nights during the crusades in the >iddle *ges. :ot one spontaneous movement is allowed in this picture of overl"disciplined, overl"-cautious drawn high middle zone letters with the final dou!le curves to show his adapta!ilit" at an" price, in an" situation. 'he wide distance !etween the lines suggests a seclusion from societ", and a strict organization talent and overview. 7e planned ever"thing in an orderl", calculating wa". 'he swinging to the left into the past, and the lower lengths, reveal his need for leaning his head on someone.s shoulder, since he cannot alwa"s !e the strong calculator. :ow his opportunit" has come to escape from the chains of normalit". 'he daughters are grown up, and don.t need him an"more. 7e thin s onl" of his newl" gained freedom. *ndrE ;ide and 7enr" Fames, !oth successful writers, suddenl" decided in their mid-fifties to !egin a new phase of their development or regression, as the ps"chiatrists would see it. 'he" too this important step to escape the narrowness of their life and to e+plore the world from the other side of the fence. 'his handwriting shows that the writer will loosen up his inner rigidit" and monoton" to fl" on wings, free from the !onds of dut" and responsi!ilit", into the open land of his eternal longing.

Leonardo da Cinci, the great artist and inventor of the -enaissance, was an illegitimate child who lived with his father and stepmother. 7is grandmother and his !irth mother, who later married, sta"ed in touch although the" did not live with him. 3reud !elieved that the unusual feature in Leonardo.s painting of the !irgin and Child "ith Saint #nne manifested the artist.s

unconscious e+perience of his childhood. In the painting, 4aint *nne seems onl" a little older than her daughter. In an act of unconscious transference, Leonardo gave the child Fesus two mothers. *t the age of 2%, he was accused of having se+ with a 1)-"ear-old 3lorentine !o", and imprisoned. 7is father, with the help of influential friends, ultimatel" got him free. 9ut the two months in prison humiliated him so much that he left for >ilan. 'here he proliferated in all directions: engineering fortifications, tactics, science. Leonardo was stri ingl" handsome, ph"sicall" virile and so strong that he could !end an iron horseshoe with his hands. In spite of his ph"sical !eaut", he was withdrawn and lived on his own. 7e insisted that an artist must live solitaril" to !e trul" dedicated to his art. 7e taught himself Latin when he was %2 "ears old. 7e chose mirror writing for the thousands of notes he made pertaining to his secret studies= even his signature appeared, occasionall", in mirror writing. In one of his private note!oo s, he wrote: ?the !at, owing to un!ridled lust, o!serves no universal rule in pairing, !ut males with males and females with females, promiscuousl", as it ma" happen.? Leonardo chose a !eautiful !o", 4alai, as apprentice. 4alai !etra"ed him and stole from his clients. 9ut Leonardo remained faithful to him until 4alai.s death, even leaving a dowr" for 4alai.s sister. 7is place was ta en !" a "outh of good famil", 3rancesco >elzi, who accompanied Leonardo to the court of 3rancis I in 3rance, a great patron of the arts. :ow famous all over 2urope, Leonardo received from @ing 3rancis I of 3rance, the small chGteau near the @ing.s summer palace at *m!oise on the Loire, where he lived with his faithful friend until his death. Mirror ,riting sa(-le 'he artistic curve is in ever" single swinging letter form in the handwriting. Its vertical slant shows Leonardo.s sh", withdrawn nature. 7owever, the script is proud, 8uiet and harmonious, revealing that at this point Leonardo had !ecome aware of his superiorit".

APPENDI# A. S$PPLEMENTAL GRAPHOLOGICAL ANAL%SES OF HOMOSE#$ALS

The adolescent is a sexually mature indi$idual "ho has all of the adult%s iological sex dri$es& tensions& and needs for sexual release "ithout any socially appro$ed 'means of securing relief .? 7orroc s 5 1/(26 'he following anal"ses are ta en from samples su!mitted at a homose+ual clu!, 'he 4aint, in :ew Hor 0it". 'he samples were presented and discussed in front of a live audience. 'he anal"ses are therefore discreet and do not disclose the specific nature of the self-selected deviant.s preferred se+ual practices. $hat is most important to eep in mind, when reading the following anal"ses, is that these are largel" the handwriting samples of adolescents. 'he first ps"chologist to ma e a scientific stud" of adolescence was ;. 4tanle" 7all. 7e too Darwin.s theor" of recapitulation: each individual has to go from the primitive, animalistic stage to a civilized wa" of life. 'he whole process is guided !" internal ph"siological and genetic forces with little influence of cultural environment. In the first four "ears of life, the child develops a little ?animal.s? sensor" motor s ills. 3rom age four to eight, the child recapitulates the earl" human stage of hunting and fishing. 3rom eight to twelve, the child learns the practical s ills of reading and writing, while adolescence 5pu!ert" to adulthood6 is a period of Sturm und (rang, of storm and stress, corresponding to man.s tur!ulent transition from savager" to civilization. *dolescence is characterized !" oscillation !etween activit" and letharg", e+u!erance and apath", euphoria and despair, vanit" and a!asement, !rashness and !ashfulness, childish selfishness and idealistic altruism, longing for authorit" and re!ellion against it. 'his period lasts almost ten "ears. 'he conflict and turmoil graduall" give wa" to a civilized maturit" !etween the ages of twent"-two and twent"-five. @urt Lewin has said of adolescence: 'he adolescent "ears are characterized !" rapid changes in his life space, due to the "oung person.s increased a!ilit" to distinguish !etween realit" and irrealit" 5dreams and fantasies6, his thirst for new e+periences and wider social contacts, and his urge to assert his independence.

'he adolescent is in a state of social ?locomotion? !etween child groups and adult groups, and the !oundaries of this space are uncertain, which gives him a lac of structure, as withdrawal, sensitivit", inhi!ition, aggressiveness and radicalism.

'he imposing, deepl" penetrating y-loop in my 526 seems to indicate that this "oung man is enslaved se+uall" !" a demonic source. 'his grotes8uel" immense, heavil" hanging !ag of a phallus-s"m!ol totall" disrupts the line !elow, occup"ing the space of one whole word, so that the other words have to go around the intruder as it ta es possession of the material world, represented !" the lower zone. >itchell.s name, smaller than the previous words, leaps into the air, as if he wanted to escape realit" to the airier realms of the spiritual world. )or* 5#6 is clear and large, as if it is of great value to him. Post office 5%6, tilting e+tremel" to the right, is full of emotion, and the wide spaces !etween each letter give post a special clarit" and emphasis. 'hen, graduall", there is a transformation in the handwriting as the word office straightens up to a completel" vertical position. 'his sudden attempt to control his emotion shows wonderfull" the contrast !etween his life on the <o! and awa" from it. In the Aost Office he tries to control himself, !ut as soon as he is a!le to leave wor , he returns to his private life, indicated !" his usual, emotional chic enscrawl. 7e does not even tr" to create a favora!le impression: loo at the incoherent zig-zagging of his illegi!le signature. 'hat indifferent chain of irregular lines loo s li e a cardiogram during a heart attac .

$hat wonderful surprises await us when we as a teenager on the verge of ma ing vital career decisions to draw his fantasies on a piece of paperI

'his musical script, with its gigantic, spread-out forms, resem!les musical notation. $e see a variet" of musical s"m!ols, such as the clef signs shown a!ove, in this !aro8ue writing. $e also see strange, feminine s"m!ols and round, classical forms clustered around his first name. 'his "oung man would not !e a!le to e+plain wh" he has chosen <ust these drawings, for he did so unconsciousl". Is he still attached to his motherD Does he long for an alter ego, a counterpart, to !e intimate withD 'he signature contains the answer to such unarticulated 8uestions, and li e a child, he ma" sit for hours, a!sor!ed in his drawings, loo ing for answers in the depths of his unconscious. $ill he !ecome a composer with these a!undant fantas"-drawings turning into musical notes, e+pressing melodies heard in his inner earD $ill he !ecome an astronaut training for a space flightD $ill he !ecome another Fohannes @epler, who %11 "ears ago accuratel" descri!ed the revolutions of the planets around the sunD It is to !e hoped that his "oung man will choose a profession in which he can realize his deep-seated desires rather than s8uandering his talents in some ?reasona!le? profession.

'his is an intellectual, speed", fle+i!le handwriting which mirrors a self-secure, independent mind full of enthusiasm, sa$oir faire and sa$oir $i$re. 'his "oung man en<o"s life with an e+8uisite awareness and a strong li!ido, using his se+ual and ps"chic energies to create his imposing life force. 'here are moments when he is too self-conscious a!out his talents and overdoes his need for freedom and his desire to !e different from others. 'his can !e seen, for instance, in the d in his signature, an eccentricall" pointed, huge upper curve shooting into the air li e an e+ploding firecrac er. 'he script radiates fantas" so strongl" that one can forgive the e+travagant letter formations with their original a!!reviations. 7ow delightfull" he connects the final stro e of the h.s in ha$e had 516 with the loops of the following a.s. 7e is an enfant terri le who enchants his parents with unpredicta!le surprises. In summar", we compliment this "oung man.s courage to go his own wa", though his glee to tr" the unusual often verges on the e+cessive.

7ere is a strange mi+ture of graphic elements: the first paragraph !ears simplicit" !ordering on the conventional. 'hen suddenl" Cincent tries to give new life to his writing, as if it seemed to him lac ing in dramatic power. 7e achieves this not !" changing the !asic letter formations, !ut !" swelling and enlarging the stro es, such as the final stro e of the e in lo$e 5/6 and Peace 5/6 or the final stro e of the * in +ar* 51 and 116. 4uch changes illustrate displaced pressure: the" show the writer.s intent to portra" e+tra determination and strength. In 3reudian terms, displaced pressure indicates displaced li!ido. $hen additional loops are added to patch up meagerl" constructed ones, as, for instance, the e+tra heav" curve as an e+tension of the " of "ell 5)6, we see >ar .s self-deception with respect to his am!itious striving. 7e wants to !e larger than life. 'he most !izarre e+ample of this occurs in the capital # in #ll 5)6. 'he conventional #, with a harmless, initial garland upstro e, is crossed with a powerful slashing stro e resem!ling a 'ur ish scimitar. 'he signature, as well, is overloaded with more wild sa!er-stro es, and the underscoring is a masterpiece of *ra!ian calligraph". Aerhaps he har!ors within himself a hidden love for the art of >edieval printing.

'his is so-called persona writing, which means the representation is more important than the natural character. 2ver"thing will !e stretched into the height, to appear larger, to e+press his longing for wide space and room, his longing for e+pansion, his lust for traveling and developing intellectuall". 9ecause the form is so important for him, he li es to construct original capitals. $e see it in the capital + in +ontral 5#6 and +arch 5)6, where the !ridge !etween the two downstro es is consciousl" !ro en and flic ed together with a soft loop. 'he right stem is higher than the first one, which means that he wants to !e someone special in the world. 7is longing for greatness is

also visi!le in the e+tremel" high middle zone, and the e+treme differences in lengths. Loo at the long upper and lower lengths and the space he needs on the paper. 7e is not modest or hum!le, he wants to con8uer the world. 'he enrolled d in day 516, today 526, and as*ed 5%6, and the d in ,uindy, spea a!out his longing to return to the oral phase where the Dual Jnion with mother and !a!" still e+isted. 'he inside covering of the vowels a as in day 51 and 26, +ontreal 5#6 and +arch 5)6 show his secrec". 'he sharp points at the end of the --capital-crossing 5(6 show his sharp wit and criticism. 'he to-the-left ic ing of the angular !ase-stro e of the --capital is also furnished with a hoo and shows his aggressive easiness for !eing 8uic l" irritated. 7e li es to nag and has a sharp tongue. 'he i-dots are done precisel" in his slow writing and show his love for detail wor and punctualit" and relia!ilit". 'he over-high num!ers ./01 represent his financial generosit" in presenting himself as a ver" no!le financial genius who li es the value of mone" !ut without reall" practical use. 'he com!ining of the , last stro e to the 1 is deceiving !ecause the true form of the ( is now more a ) with an outrolled circle, !ut one cannot operate with ine+act num!ers in dail" life and therefore he should have some!od" who ta es over his pla"ing fantas" with large figures. 'his organized writing of high e+tensions and longing to !e someone important in the world !elongs to an artistic "oung man who has not "et found his identit". 7is meager Klee-li e writing promises tenacit" and fighting a!ilit" to realize his s "-high dreams.

'he dar , slightl" smeared stro e picture shows this "oung man to !e a sensation type who li es to e+plore the world with his well functioning senses--touch, smell, taste, sight, and sound-!ecause he !elieves onl" in the here and now and in what he can confirm with his natural instinct. 7e is well organized, an efficient wor er who shows his !est 8ualities in a crisis. 7e li es people and is a !it pla"ful, as the oldfashioned t-!ar in There 516 demonstrates. 'he initial 2. in the signature 5(6 also gets an e+tra ornamental curve. 7e is an earth" t"pe who li es mone", as the dividing stro es !etween the num!ers /34356 reveal. 'hese stro es are furnished with hoo s, promising tenacit" and endurance in his !attle for mone". 7is signature has the same height, slant and compact shape as the te+t, which means that he is a!solutel" natural, with no discrepanc" !etween his essence and his appearance. 7e is not "et detached from his mother, as the strong upper part of the I-pronoun indicates. 'he leftward curves of n in in 516 and " in *no" 5%6 !espea his lac of love as a !a!". :ow he longs for oral pleasures, li e issing and sweet food and a lot of tal ing. 7e is a fle+i!le, speed", happ" person who lives for toda".

'his is the handwriting of a rough, earth", and masculine "oung man whose personalit" prefers flights of fanc", colorful imagination, impatience, and reason-dominated willpower. One can see a lust for com!at in this 7e-man script. 'he progressivel" rising arcadic m-curves of +y 516 s"m!olize the "oung man.s striving to !ecome an important person in the world. Het the inflated capitals, such as the P in Pennies 5%6 and the impudent, illegi!le signature with the !ig !ell" in the B, hanging deepl" !elow the !ase line into the dar depths of materialism, confirm a vulgar appetite. 'he vehement, sa!er-li e ending of his famil" name cuts furiousl" into the paper, revealing a violent character. 7is ina!ilit" to spell the simplest words 5hea$en without the a and e$ery without the r6 demonstrates a primitive avoidance of refinement and lac of will for development. Instead, he uses loud music and ph"sical aggression to show off his macho 8ualit". 'he smeared upper loops of the I-pronouns 526, the dar ened, in -filled e in elie$e, the a in that and the e in hea$en all show his anal, compulsive character. 3inall", the pointed, dagger-li e word endings, especiall" the last pointed stro e in his halfcompleted famil" name, suggest sadistic tendencies.

'his "oung man of nineteen shows man" claw-li e lower zone formations: aged 5#6, +y 5#6, ,eneral 5#6, day 5%6 and Photographer 5%6. 'hese grasping signs show a ma<or interest in financial securit". In Barry 5&6 he tries to enno!le the leftward-!ending curves !" giving them an artistic loo . 'his same 8ualit" is evident in the heav", !lac , printed letters of I 7#T8 98) :;<K 5(6. 7ere, as well, downstro es are e+tended into the realm of materialism. Loo at the powerful, unusual downstro es of the capitals 7& :& <, and K. 9rian drives these thic pilings deepl" into the ground, s"m!olizing his main goal: to !uild a solid foundation for the realization of his financial dream. 'he ;ree epsilon shows literar" interest. Aerhaps he needs mone" to fulfill his artistic aimsD Aerhaps some architectural fantasiesD 'he "outhful arcades in the n.s are formed in the t"pical meandering pattern of teenagers. 'his pattern of crisscrossing lines is t"pical of "oung, aimlessl" searching souls in the tortuous "ears of "outhful uncertaint".

In these leisurel", e+panded, slowl"-drawn curves we see a representative of the dolce far niente life, a "oung man with a splendid !od" and an alwa"s humorous mind, laughing and singing= an eternal child, giving love and eagerl" searching for love. 7is signature loo s li e the long, narrow flat-!ottomed !oats with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Cenice. 7ere we

can imagine how he lived, en<o"ing his e+istence as a gondolier, singing and happil" gliding his gondola through the numerous canals around the islands of this romantic atmosphere of art treasures and architecture of the most !eautiful cit" of the world. 'his "oung man can also !e fancied as a model of the 9aro8ue 4panish painter, >urillo, who was nown for his use of commonplace models with an emphasis on scenes of ever"da" life. In the "oung man.s handwriting we see the happiness of a creature who is not spoiled !" the stress of commercial materialistic aims, !ut a true sensation t"pe who en<o"s life with all his luring pleasures, as >arlowe promises: ?0ome live with me and !e m" love and let us all the pleasures prove.?