Oedipus complex

Question 1

what is it?

Answer 1

• In the phallic stage
• young boys will experience it
• young boy develops intense sexual love for his mother and because he sees his father as a rival he want rid of him
• The father is much bigger and more powerful so that the child develops a fear that his father will castrate him
• Its impossible to live with the castration threat and so the boy develops a defence mechanism called ‘identification with the aggressor’ were he stresses all the way that he is similar to his father adopting his fathers attitudes mannerisms and actions
• He feels if his father sees him as similar to him he will not be hostile