The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky Explored Through the Lens of Children: The Challenge

Abstract:The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky is a memoir that details a firsthand account of living with psychosis. The diary is also prefaced by Alfred Adler, who was at some point called to treat Nijinsky. The diary is often referenced in the field of psychology as holding insight into this unique experience of mental unhealth. Vaslav Nijinsky, a famous ballet dancer of his time, wrote the diary at age 21 while living in Switzerland with his wife, child, and mother-in-law during World War I. Throughout this diary, he alludes to early childhood experiences. Some of these stories are explored here through the lens of Rudolf Dreikurs’s Children: The Challenge in an effort to approach the historically popular case study from Dreikurs’s viewpoint, with a specific focus on such topics as goals of misbehavior.