Oedipus Complex is a psychoanalytic theory put forward by the Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud in his Interpretation of Dreams (1899). Oedipus Complex is defined as the male child’s desire for exclusive love from the parent of the opposite sex. The concept is developed after the Attic hero Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and espoused his mother. Freud restricted the occurring stage of Oedipus Conflict between 3 to 5 years. Freud assumed that during this stage the child experiences sexual desire for the mother. This desire, in turn, motivates the child to exclude the father out of jealousy. He begins to compete with the father for possessing the mother. The child views the father as a rival for getting the mother’s affection or attention.
The Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung identifies a similar symptom in girls, which is known as Electra Complex. It is defined as the female child’s desire for affection or attention from the father. A girl with Electra Complex generally feels attracted with the father and becomes jealous with the mother. The theory derives its name from the mythological character Electra, who helped to slay her mother in order to avenge her father’s murder. Freud however, rejected Jung’s theory by stating it inaccurate.
Sigmund Freud’s theory greatly influenced the field of literature. Many modern writers used this concept to unveil the psychological complexities in human beings. One such writer is the English writer D. H. Lawrence. In his novel Sons and Lovers (1913), Lawrence incorporates biographical elements and shows how his mother fixation kept him aloof from forming healthy relationship with any woman.
The Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung identifies a similar symptom in girls, which is known as Electra Complex. It is defined as the female child’s desire for affection or attention from the father. A girl with Electra Complex generally feels attracted with the father and becomes jealous with the mother. The theory derives its name from the mythological character Electra, who helped to slay her mother in order to avenge her father’s murder. Freud however, rejected Jung’s theory by stating it inaccurate.
Sigmund Freud’s theory greatly influenced the field of literature. Many modern writers used this concept to unveil the psychological complexities in human beings. One such writer is the English writer D. H. Lawrence. In his novel Sons and Lovers (1913), Lawrence incorporates biographical elements and shows how his mother fixation kept him aloof from forming healthy relationship with any woman.
