MUSHROOMING: resistance and creativity in sigmund freud and emily dickinson

This paper explores Sigmund Freud's use of metaphor, taking as its focus a footnote in The Interpretation of Dreams (1900). In a development of this footnote, Freud employs the figure of the mushroom in order to illustrate the limit presented by dream interpretation. Whilst commentators have discussed this footnote, few have explored the significance of the mushroom image itself. I explore both Freud's use of metaphorical language and also Emily Dickinson's use of the mushroom image. The poet's treatment of metaphor resonates with Freud's, illuminating his use of the mushroom figure. Through close readings and examinations of various theoretical perspectives, I consider the relationship between interpretative resistance and creativity in psychoanalysis.