LITTLE JANE: A BRIEF CASE STUDY, - By Dr. Amanda Cohen

A psychoanalytical investigation into TIMON - The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane.   SUMMA   This is perhaps one of the most anguished tales of childhood trauma and resultant psychological impact (inhibition by-pass with primary and secondary symptoms of algolagnic aetiology - i.e. sadism [2.]) ever told through the medium of the 60's pop record.   PREAMBLE   It is not my intention here to analyse the musicological aspects of this record, except, briefly in passing. This record is too easily, incorrectly, dismissed as twee and juvenile. The deceptively sickly, cloying 'toy town' arrangement (intentionally lisping enunciation; musical box tune; sugary strings) disguises another of those "nightmares from the nursery" as collated by Drs. Artmann, Köln and Miller [3.]. This is a classic case where the medium is most assuredly not the message. The 'wrappings' serve to deaden the painful impact of the 'raw' tale. For another example of this "obscurantia anaesthetico", think "Ring a Ring a Rosie" - melody: twee and simplistic (a nursery rhyme); subject: serious (the Black Death)[4.].   I.   Little Jane's reaction to childhood neglect ("been let down"; "she's got no toys") and to a greater degree her physical abuse ("been [...] kicked around") lead, via emotional repression ("never cries or even tries"), to her development from depression/self destruction ("she wants to die") to nascent sadistic psychopathia ("she'll find a head to pound on"). Her 'little'-ness serves to heighten (a) the contrast between 'good' (the child) and 'evil' (the brutal parent/violence itself) and (b) her incalculable loss of 'innocence'.   II.   Whilst her siblings (whether actual or figurative), Peter, Sally and Andrew, maintain 'conditioned' (socially cohesive) childhood activities (playing with "trains", "dolls", "cowboys") and display well-balanced, socially-integrated personality traits (i.e. happiness, play, kissing, etc)[5.], the 'naughty child', Jane, with her asocial ("been too long on her own"), stigmatised ("been sent away") and de-personalised/schizoid ("she's growing cold") state has developed a classic (axiomatic) obsessive-compulsive behavioural pattern schizoid "clang" association) in the form of repeated oral-sadistic (impulsive) desires ("she'll find a head to pound on"): the violence begets violence scenario[6.].   III.   The over-zealous parental punishments [7.] for her recidivistic behaviour only strengthens her 'automatic' (non-directional) acts, via cognitive deprivation, to re-enforce the emotional/social withdrawal - asocial fragmentation/compartmentalization ("locked away"): locking Little Jane ever more tightly ("she'll find her place") into her pavlovial destruction - punishment - destruction - punishment cycle.   SUMMA FINALIS   The final, and perhaps most tragic irony, is that Little Jane's cries go unheard, not just by her uncaring and brutal parents, or her happy and oblivious siblings, but by us - the listeners (who represent society as a whole) [8.], who fail to distinguish the kernel of agonising pathos from amongst the lashings of syrup.   FOOTNOTES   I should like to express my gratitude to Timon (the songwriter and performer). It is also worth bearing in mind that 1968 was the year of the Mary Bell case.  The "transferal option": masochism ("she wants to die") to sadism is well documented. Vide Kauffmann (1907), Panizzi (1938), Kinsey (1953), et al.  Drs. Hans Artmann, Maurice Köln and Stephen Miller, 'Nightmares from the Nursery". (OUP, 1978).  There are numerous well-known examples of this in history (jokes, songs, stories, myths). For psychological investigations vide Klein, 'Die Mythüs' (1931); Van Dkye; Laughing to Ease the Pain' (1975); Cadivec & Arnaud, 'L'encyclopedie des farces...' (1964).  It is possible that the siblings are aware of Little Jane's suffering. It is not unusual for children in this situation to appear 'normal' and 'unknowing' so as not to endanger themselves, either bodily (physically abuse) or physically (psychic trauma), vide Panizzi (1964), Fainlight (1961).  It is worth noting that the critical/pivotal line "she'll find a head to pound on", has several connotations, of which I shall elucidate two: (i.) the "head" is literally the parent (-intelligence, superior height, control); (ii.) "head" is mentioned three times (three choruses), there are three other siblings - all potential targets of Little Jane's rage.  The classic study of the dysfunctional child - parent relation is Dr Alfred Matheson, 'Born Evil? - the case of the killer child' (1981)  The listener represents 'deaf' society. He is quite literally outside the lyrics (i.e. not mentioned), outside the family, outside the record itself (vinyl). He is therefore a listener who refuses to listen. Although it is important to acknowledge that the arranger has overplayed his hand, disguised the truth rather too well.  ~Article reprinted, with kind permission, from 'The Journal of Clinical Psychopathology', vol. LXVI, no. iv (June 2001). PP. 180-184(copyright) SWEET FA - the world's only periodical devoted to UK PSYCHEDELIA - is published monthly. We have only one thing to gain, our consciousness. Nothing to lose but our minds.