Prologue to a Dream

Dream combinations are made up of elements that are closely connected in the dreamer's thoughts, and to represent causal relationships Freud states that they use two methods (Freud, 1911):

They can present the subordinate clause as a preliminary dream and then attach the main clause to it as the main dream.

In this method, the dream first presents a situation that sets the stage for the main event. For example, a dream about being lost in a forest might be followed by a dream about being attacked by a bear. The forest represents the dreamer's feeling of being lost and confused, while the bear represents the dreamer's fear of being harmed (Freud, 1911).

Dreams can reverse the order of events

In this method, the dream presents the main event first and then the subordinate event. A dream about getting married might be followed by a dream about meeting the person that you are going to marry. The marriage represents the dreamer's desire for commitment, while the meeting represents the dreamer's first steps toward achieving that goal.

Freud suggests that these are just two of the many ways that dreams can represent causal relationships. If this is true then we gain a deeper understanding of our thoughts and feelings by understanding how dreams work. Freud (1911) gives another example of "such a representation of causality":

Flowery Language

The reported dream is divided into two parts which are a short prologue and a longer more detailed dream composition. The prologue involves the dreamer scolding two maids for taking too long to prepare food and seeing heavy kitchen utensils turned upside down to drain. Then the maids go to fetch water and have to climb into a river that reaches up to the house courtyard.
This division of the dream does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship between the thoughts of the two parts (Freud 1911). There are some possible connections that could be made:

The dreamer's anger at the maids for taking too long to prepare the food could be related to the dreamer's fear of being left without food.
The image of the heavy kitchen utensils turned upside down to drain may symbolize the patient's feelings of being overwhelmed or weighted down.
The maids' journey to fetch water from a river that reaches up to the house could represent the dreamer's struggle to meet their basic needs.

According to Freud (1913), the meaning of the dream can only be determined by considering the dreamer's individual thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The division of the dream into two parts and the use of certain symbols may provide clues to the dreamer's unconscious mind: