ipl-logo

Sigmund Freud Oedipus Complex Essay

1485 Words6 Pages

Sigmund Freud was the founder of Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic psychological approaches. He discovered the unconscious, the complexity of human ego, and many other psychological theories (BMJ, 1936). The purpose of the therapy was to bring repressed thoughts or conflicts into consciousness, thus helping the patient gain insight into the processes of his/her unconscious. By doing so, it was thought to aid in healing. Psychoanalysis is used today as a treatment while also still being theorized. Freud often used techniques such as free association and dream analysis. Exploring stressors, memories, and feelings (that have led to psychological debilitation) in a safe environment can contribute to long-term emotional growth. Freud’s work has been enormously influential on various fields of study …show more content…

Oedipus in the tragedy inadvertently kills his own father and marries his mother. Experienced during the phallic phase, children begin to desire the parent of the opposite sex, whilst despising the parent of the same sex. Declines in the latency period due to the either: Boy: the fear of castration from the father Girl: a new desire in the form of a child. After puberty, pure resolution from this complex is through suitable substitutions for their love (Lauren Dolloff, 2006). Freudian Theories IV D.) Theory of Femininity and Female Sexuality Freud questioned how a woman comes into being and “how a woman develops out of a child with a bisexual disposition” (Freud 1933, p. 116). Woman came to be through “penis envy.” As a young girl, she discovers that a boy has a penis and enjoys more sexual pleasure out of it. Due to this, she develops jealousy towards not having a penis and abandons any sexual pleasure by clitoral stimulation. This reinforces her Oedipus Complex. Penis envy in addition to her Oedipus Complex, is Sigmund Freud’s definition of “normal femininity” (Jingchao Ma, n.d.,

Open Document