John Waddell's Character Analysis From The Book 'Inside Lives'

The concept that I thought was the most challenging for me to understand from the book Inside Lives was latency. During my undergrad, I came across the concept of latency, however I always understood it as the fourth stage of Freuds human development stages. I never really understood what this concept meant I have always thought in this stage a child represses their sexual energy and transfers it elsewhere. The child transfers their energy to school work or outside relationships such as friends. The challenging issues I have had with latency is who defines latency? How do we know this is true? Do all children go through it? I have always understood latency as a stage that children go through and not adults. However, after reading Inside Lives I have a different understanding about latency.
Waddell talks about the concept of latency throughout the book, however she also has a chapter written about

After the parents separate in the film, Frank begins to engage in drinking and masturbating at school, while spreading his semen on lockers and books. His sexual urges seem very uncontained and he seems to have no alternative support. Frank’s behaviour is felt to ease the tension of aggression and sexual impulses that he has. In one of the scenes of the film he lays out his mother’s bra and panties, while drinking and tries to put on a condom. This can be understood through the re-emergence of the Oedipal feelings in this case for his mother. In other words, for Frank the latency period remerges. As Waddell (2002) argues Frank is able “to break out of the constrictions on sexuality imposed during latency” (p.150). Frank can act on his sexuality without any restrictions imposed on him. Franks behaviour was a way to cope from the split of his family, but also to grab attention. This also shows that latency is a mental state, which impacts a child’s personality and can happen at any