Abstract
This paper is an investigation into possible causes of essay anxiety experienced by adolescent students. The three students are presented as being representative of three broader categories: the non-starter, the non-completer and the non-exhibitor. Parallels are drawn between the student essay and student family relationships, and essay anxiety is explored in terms of the utilization of defences against the anxiety of loss. In the process, there is an attempt to appreciate some of the deeply rooted, inter-related, developmental factors - in particular, tolerance of aggressive impulses and the experience of the good object as modifying container - which might affect the student's ability to deal productively with an essay.