Difficultreadings—importanttogetoutlineofOedipus.pptVIP

Oedipus Rex : Psychoanalytic Foundation of Child Psychopathology Difficult readings—important to get outline of Oedipus complex Controversy surrounding gender development, gender identity, importance of earlier phases of development, importance to the development of psychic structure Importance of sexual body parts to underlying theory Myth of Oedipus Rex (Sophocles) Laius prophesied to die by son’s own hand Laius sets son out to die Unknowingly, son Oedipus survives, returns to where his parents lived, kills his father, and commits incest with his mother Freud read play, believed that patients were telling him the same story in their dreams, fantasies, and free associations, so he called this central conflict “Oedipus Complex” Synopsis of Case of Little Hans 5-year-old boy had phobia of going into street Phobia of horses Fear that horses were going to bite off his genitals Freud reasoned that Little Hans wanted to kill father, have mother Little Hans feared retaliation for his wishes through castration Little Hans could not experience these wishes and fears directly toward father because he also loved his father Displacement onto horses, which has become associated to father Interpretation of this conflict resulted in remission of symptoms Outline of Oedipus Complex Asymmetry of conflict for boy and girl Both boy and girl develop first attachment, filled with sexual longing, to mother Separation-individuation results in separate self who desires mother, who consists of good and bad parts (object constancy) Capacity to observe father, his relationship with mother At around same time perception of anatomical differences takes place Oedipus Complex takes two different paths for boys and girls For boys—wish to have mother exclusively, to get rid of rival father Fear of retaliation through castration (sees girl without penis) Gives up wish, identifies with aggressor (A. Freud) and prohibitions, and sublimates feelings until he can displace them onto someone like mothe