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The Sopranos: Season 4 Analyzed; Week 11

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Dying To Spill the Beans

From: Glen Gabbard
To: Judith Shulevitz, Margaret Crastnopol, Jodi Kantor, Daniel Menaker, Philip Ringstrom, and Joel WhitebookPosted Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002, at 11:41 AM ET

Who are these people?

I think Judith is correct that Tony is dying to spill the beans as a way of unloading his guilt. Like many patients who were brought up Catholic, Tony has a tendency to see therapy as a confessional where one seeks redemption and forgiveness as much as insight and understanding. However, Melfi doesn't want to know what Tony has to say about his impulsive act. Since the first session in the first episode of the first season, she has made it clear that she wants Tony to keep his violent acts split off from the therapeutic discourse. Judith asks about a therapist's obligation if Tony did admit that he whacked Ralphie. Actually, Melfi's only obligation would be to keep it confidential. The so-called duty to warn derived from the Tarasoff case applies only to future victims who are at risk because of the patient's intent to harm them. It does not apply to past crimes. Jennifer is highly conflicted about Tony's seamy side. Part of her wants to know the sordid details because of the vicarious excitement she derives from it. The other half of her wants to believe in his potential for goodness and can't bear to hear what he does in his "business."

Glen

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Dying To Spill the Beans

From: Glen Gabbard
To: Judith Shulevitz, Margaret Crastnopol, Jodi Kantor, Daniel Menaker, Philip Ringstrom, and Joel WhitebookPosted Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002, at 11:41 AM ET
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Glen O. Gabbard, M.D., is a professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and author of The Psychology of The Sopranos, inspired by this discussion. Philip A. Ringstrom, Ph.D., Psy.D., is a senior faculty member at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. Joel Whitebook, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Margaret Crastnopol, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the Northwest Center for Psychoanalysis. All are practicing therapists as well. Daniel Menaker is the author of The Treatment, a novel about therapy, and is executive editor at HarperCollins. Judith Shulevitz writes the "Close Reader" column for the New York Times Book Review. Jodi Kantor is Slate's New York editor.
COMMENTS

Notes From The Fray Editor:

Dan Menaker refers to a poster who came up with the masonic theory of the second dream above. That poster is none other than the always-eager liviasghost. (For now, she is liviasghost-2, but we'll work on that.)

Remark From The Fray:

I am still trying to figure this dream out.
Tony appears as a poor Italian immigrant showing up at a mansion to do masonry work.
I thought the figure on the steps was Livia.
I know Tony has told both his kids about the stonemasons who built the church and how much reverence he has for these "foot soldiers" but I still can't put the dream together.

-- liviasghost-2

(To reply, click here.)

(11/25)

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