Bruce Ruddick

The case history of a man whose life is crippled by behaviour patterns carried over from a too-dependent childhood. Through therapy he comes to understand the causes of his illness and fear.

Dramatizes the factors producing resentment and hostility in personal relationships. In the story of Clare we see how the death of her father and the later remarriage of her mother discouraged her from seeking affectional relationships with others. Although successful at college and in her business career, she feels the lack of fellowship and understanding. The factors behind this emotional inadequacy are reviewed by a psychiatrist.

Although some of the conclusions are a bit odd - the woman who had been suffering headaches and misery is shown as cured when she rejects with a smile a shoe a clerk tries to sell her - its musings on the origins of what can be crippling issues.