Femininity Within Freud's Idea of The Oedipus Complex

Introduction

The article, Femininity, was written by Sigmund Freud and was published in 1933. In this article, Freud discusses his ideas about women's sexual-based problems, the wish of women to have a penis, and their feelings of deficiency for not having one. He explores the relation of these issues with the Oedipus complex and the consequences that follow. Additionally, Freud presents his ideas and theses about sexual differences between men and women from birth until death (Freud, 1933).

Freud's Perspective on Femininity and the Oedipus Complex

According to Freud, the desire for a penis among women begins when they are young and start exploring the differences between themselves and boys. From that time, girls perceive not having a penis as a deficiency. As they grow, girls realize that others, including their mother, share this perceived deficiency, leading to a sense of distance from their mother and a closer attachment to their father. This shift, according to Freud, culminates in the development of the Oedipus complex (Freud, 1933).

Freud's viewpoints on femininity can be further understood through his statements:

• "We are accustomed to employ ‘masculine' and ‘feminine' as mental qualities as well, and have in the same way transferred the notion of bisexuality to mental life." This statement reflects a hasty generalization, suggesting that everyone holds this view.
• "You cannot give the concepts of ‘masculine' and ‘feminine' any new connotation." This reflects an absolute judgment about redefining these concepts, another instance of hasty generalization.
• "The turning away from the mother is accompanied by hostility; the attachment to the mother ends in hate." This statement is a slippery slope fallacy, suggesting a direct negative consequence from the initial action.
• "You may take it as an instance of male injustice if I assert that envy and jealousy play an even greater part in the mental life of the women than of men." This reflects an ad hominem fallacy, implying a biased view against women.
• "For a girl too, her first object must be her mother (and the figures of wet-nurses and foster-mothers that merge into her)." This statement appeals to tradition, suggesting that a girl's first attachment must be to her mother.

Conclusion

To summarize, Freud elaborated on his theories regarding women's sexual problems and compared them to men in this article. He emphasized the problem of penis envy, which he believed significantly impacted women's lives. While there are aspects of Freud's ideas that hold some truth, such as the psychological complexities of gender identity, I believe certain concepts, like the Oedipus complex, are exaggerated. Overall, I found myself disagreeing with most of the ideas presented in the article (Freud, 1933).

References

Freud, S. (1933). Femininity. In New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis. W. W. Norton & Company.