"Such hectic extremes of gloom and gaiety are, indeed, characteristic of the manic-depressive, as with poor Crabbe's wife; in such persons the superego sits, as it were, like a great baleful cat, while the poor little cowed mouse of an ego creeps about with its tail between its legs; but at intervals the cat drowses off, and then the little ego frolics itself almost into frenzy."
— Lucas, F. L. (1894-1967)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Cassell
Date
1958
Metaphor
"Such hectic extremes of gloom and gaiety are, indeed, characteristic of the manic-depressive, as with poor Crabbe's wife; in such persons the superego sits, as it were, like a great baleful cat, while the poor little cowed mouse of an ego creeps about with its tail between its legs; but at intervals the cat drowses off, and then the little ego frolics itself almost into frenzy."
Metaphor in Context
Such hectic extremes of gloom and gaiety are, indeed, characteristic of the manic-depressive, as with poor Crabbe's wife; in such persons the superego sits, as it were, like a great baleful cat, while the poor little cowed mouse of an ego creeps about with its tail between its legs; but at intervals the cat drowses off, and then the little ego frolics itself almost into frenzy. But without this gaiety Johnson, and Johnson's style, would lose a great part of their charm
(104)
(104)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Lucas, F. L. The Search for Good Sense: Four Eighteenth-Century Characters: Johnson, Chesterfield, Boswell, Goldsmith (London: Cassell, 1958).
Date of Entry
03/15/2018
