Sigmund Freud's Oedipus Complex Essay Example

Of all the theories of childhood psychological development, Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus Complex has many debating whether or not Freuds’ claim, that men are attracted to their mothers—or in some cases, seek out partners who resemble a mother figure—has any basis in society. That is to say that those who argue in support of the Oedipus Complex do not directly advocate solely for the sexual component of attraction, but more so for the emotional and psychological attraction—the infatuation—that a man may develop for their mother. As far-fetched, or otherwise wrong that such a theory sounds, Freud’s theory does have a basis in our society has actually been proven time and time again by society, the relationships that in some cases men tend to seek out, and literature.

Society proves Freud’s claim through its various depictions of attractions to maternal figures. Take for instance the social media platform TikTok—by early 2018, the platform became the most downloaded app on the app store—popularized by the platform's ability to provide users with the ability to express themselves with short videos in a scroll set-up similar to Instagram. Of the many clips on the site, many depict videos of men expressing an appreciation for masculine figures; take user @issantscot, who wrote “When they [a prospective lover] act like a mother and a lover at the same time...” on a six-second video, depicting himself grinning as he mouths along to the video audio. This clip brings to light a perspective that men—or at least a man—in courting women, find attraction in people who both resemble a maternal and lover figure when it comes to their relationships. Even then, if it is just this one user, then this does provide a person who is afflicted by the Oedipus complex. If you then take Freud’s test subject for which the complex basis is formed off, then there are at least two people with the Oedipus complex. Who is to say that of all the seven billion people on this Earth, that more people do not suffer from this? Of course, one's childhoods greatly factor into one's preferences in later relationships. Say for instance one grows up the typical “Mommy’s Boy”; one would grow an attachment to their mother, that one would not develop if they had a stronger connection with their father, and in a sense, would want to maintain such a relationship with their mother—and in order to preserve that relationship, one might grow a sense of disdain for their father, for such a relationship that they have with their mother. This is what the Oedipus complex encompasses. If one does not reasonably grow past this stage of jealousy or sees their opposite-sex parent maintain that stronger relationship with their same-sex parent, this might lead to searching for what they lacked in their childhood in their later relationships.

This is to say that Freud’s rather outrageous views and interpretations of psychoanalysis, Freuds’ theory of psychosexual development—in which all people go through four stages, leading to the end product maturity—still has basis; Freud stated that if the Oedipus complex was not properly resolved, a man would in future relationships seek out people who resembled their opposite-sex parents, once adults. In recent times, especially the rise of what is now called the “American Dream” during the 1950s, it became customary for women in the household to adopt become a “housewife”—that is, essentially, having a subservient role where the woman does the household chores and takes care of the children; this was what most men who believed in the “American Dream” sought out women to do. However, if removing the practicality of such an arrangement, one must wonder why it is that men—or those who still believe in the ideals of the American Dream, and therefore the role of a housewife—the desire for their wives to have the same roles that their own mothers (if in the given scenario, applicable) did when they were a child; why would one desire for their spouse to have a similar role as their own parent did? From this, one is presented then with—ignoring previous instances that the Oedipus complex plays a role in—the question of whether or not it is prevalent in our far past, and then, the importance of such.

In literature and media, the Oedipus complex is especially prevalent—take for instance the beloved Shakespearean plays, The Tragedy of Hamlet (1609), or simply, Hamlet. While Hamlet is best known for the conspiracy of murder between Prince Hamlet and his Uncle turned step-father, King Claudius, the lesser-known but more prevalent plot is Hamlet’s obvious attraction towards his mother and jealousy of Claudius’ relationship with his mother, Gertrude. In the Shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet states in a fit of anger—after his mother claims his visions of his late father a figment of his imagination—“...Good night to you. But don’t go to my uncle’s bed tonight.… Whatever you do, don’t do this: let the fat king seduce you into his bed again, so he can pinch your cheek, call you his bunny, and with filthy kisses and a massage of your neck with his damned fingers.” [Act 3, Scene 4] In this particular scene, Hamlet goes into extreme details of Claudius’ affection to Gertrude, and here stands in his mother's bedroom, practically begging her not to be with Claudius that night; this can be concluded out of jealousy for the affection that Gertrude gives to Claudius and not him. This alludes, alongside various other instances throughout the play, and many accounts that support the claim that Prince Hamlet displays the makings of an Oedipus Complex. This goes to say that while Hamlet’s biological father, King Hamlet, himself is dead, Claudius fills this paternal role—in which Hamlet grows an inane hatred for the man.

Time and time again, men have proven Freud right, and if not modern society, then through the relationships that men have sought out—or even through pieces of literature from long before Freud’s time. Despite the implications of the Oedipus complex, society still must accept that there is a basis to support Freud’s theory, and its role in society, and how it has affected people.