Character Analysis
Freud's wife, Martha, doesn't get a lot of attention in The Interpretation of Dreams, and when she does, Freud's comments can sometimes be sulky. For instance, as he interprets his Dream of Irma's Injection (2.1.16), Freud realizes that the "Irma" who appears in the dream shares certain characteristics with his wife. What characteristics does he name? Paleness, puffiness, and bad teeth.
Nice one, Sigmund. Guess who wasn't in line for the Best Husband award that year?
To his credit, Freud admits to himself and to his readers that he "was not treating either Irma or his wife very kindly in this dream" (2.1.23), and it's true that Martha gets a better rap in other moments throughout the book. She often appears in Freud's anecdotes about his travels, his social life, and his children, and in those cases Freud often speaks of her with discretion and respect.
As a matter of fact, that same discretion and respect may be the reason why Martha plays such a minor role throughout the book. Freud knew that he was taking a risk in revealing so many details of his personal life in the book, and the fact that he chose not to expose his wife to the curious eyes of his reading public may be another point in his favor.