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A triadic drama beyond the family: Freudian metapsychology in light of Lacan's object a.

Johnston,A . "A triadic drama beyond the family: Freudian metapsychology in light of Lacan's object a." Journal for the psychoanalysis of culture & society [1088-0763] 4.2 (1999). 299-306.

Discusses J. Lacan's interpretations of Freud's Oedipus complex. The majority of criticisms leveled against the Freudian Oedipus complex derive both their strength and their often high degree of moral indignation from this complex's apparent grounding in historically contingent, gender-determined, and biologically tinged factors. Lacan is widely recognized as reconciling many of the problematic nuances in Freud, particularly Freud's biologism and sometimes blatant sexism, using a form of structuralism. Lacan's registers of the real, the symbolic, and the imaginary form the structural groundwork within which the sociological particularities of the familial Oedipus complex take shape (that is, these registers are meant to provide something on the level of a priori principles for psychoanalytic theorization).

Mater and Nannie: Freud's two mothers and the discovery of the Oedipus complex.

Swan,J . "Mater and Nannie: Freud's two mothers and the discovery of the Oedipus complex." American imago [0065-860X] 31.1 (1974). 1-64.

Discusses some personal, cultural, and historical factors contributing to Freud's discovery of the Oedipus complex. The contradictions of late 19th century European bourgeois society are reflected in Freud's theoretical concerns with unresolved conflicts over masculine and feminine identification. An analysis of dreams reported by Freud in correspondence with M. Fliess reveals his personal preoccupation with mother dependence, incestuous sexual wishes, and oral aggression. It is suggested that the discovery of the Oedipus complex grew from an attempt by Freud to solve his own neurosis, which resulted from the childrearing conditions in 19th century Vienna.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The: Movie Moms

This article, aptly titled “Movie Moms” begins with the statement, “‘M’ is for the many… movies about Mother” and addresses the roles that mothers play in Hollywood cinema. Diane Dudek recognizes that the role of the mother in film is often trivialized or stereotyped, which actually echoes real life, as many mothers feel that their role is taken for granted. Dudek acknowledges that countless portrayals of particular roles in film are stereotyped or at least shown inaccurately, and finds the role of the mother to be no exception. Dudek humorously states that mothers in film are typically the “epicenter of trauma, sacrifice, Prozac and Oedipal conflicts.” That being said, Dudek sees the lack of variety in the role of mothers in film to be improving. This can be attributed to the increasing variety in the roles of women, and therefore mothers, in real life; however, mothers in film are now taking on roles of the female equivalent of classic aggressive and violent male prototypes. Examples of this role include Meryl Streep’s character in The River Wild and Jamie Lee Curtis in Mother’s Boys. Dudek includes quotes from Phyllis Threinen, the founder of the Call Mom Line, a support group for women, and Susan Martin, “keeper” of the Moms-At-Home website, to provide further evidence for the disparity between the role of mothers in society and how they are portrayed in film.

Dudek organizes the role of mothers in film into six categories: Saintly Moms, Vengeful Moms, Stage Moms, Oedipal Moms, Mothers & Daughters, and Miscellaneous Moms. Dudek provides numerous examples of films that portray mothers in all six of these categories. She uses the example of Mrs. Robinson, from Mike Nichols’ The Graduate, as the epitome for Oedipal Moms. Though there are two mothers portrayed in The Graduate, and Mrs. Robinson is not actually Benjamin’s mother, Dudek argues that she serves as a “mother surrogate.” One might argue that Benjamin’s relationship with Mrs. Robinson is one between lovers and not a mother/son relationship; however, even when they have been sleeping together for a long period of time, Benjamin still refers to her as Mrs. Robinson, solidifying her role as an elder. The development of Benjamin’s relationship with Elaine, in which Mrs. Robinson truly is the biological mother figure, further contributes to Mrs. Robinson’s role as a mother surrogate.

"Just One World... 'PLASTICS'": Suburban Malaise, Masculinity, and Oedipal Drive in The Graduate

In this comprehensive article, Robert Beuka looks at Mike Nichols’ The Graduate in the context of the expanding suburban landscape of the 1950s and 1960s. He addresses The Graduate as a coming of age film in which Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is faced with the challenges of growing up and becoming a man in an increasingly materialistic world. Benjamin’s fear of entering this world is both explicitly and implicitly referred to from the opening scene until the conclusion of the film. The title of this article, “Just One World… ‘PLASTICS’” alludes to the piece of advice that Benjamin’s father’s friend, Mr. McGuire, imposes upon Benjamin in the very beginning of the film and, according to Beuka, serves as an “apt metaphor for the very lifestyle Ben fears he may be on the verge of entering.” Beuka asserts that Benjamin represents the entire generation of young males facing adulthood in this highly materialistic and contrived environment of upper middle class suburbia. Plastic is highly representative of the empty and superficial nature of this suburban lifestyle, as is the recurring use of the swimming pool, which not only illustrates materialism, but also symbolizes the “self-destructive narcissism of the suburban dream.” Beuka also focuses on the issue of masculinity and the theme of suburban emasculation. The insecurity inherent in the image of the utopian patriarchal family led to a repressive role for adult males, who were trapped in an almost childlike state. It is this predetermined role and “plastic” lifestyle, which Benjamin sees his father living, that he fears most.

Essentially, Beuka argues that Nichols uses the setting of upper middle class suburbia, complete with its big houses, nice cars, and abundant swimming pools, to highlight the view of postwar suburbia as vacuous and unfulfilling. This view, which just was emerging as the children of the suburban experience were entering adulthood, and the recurring theme of entrapment, facilitated by the underwater scenes in the swimming pool, are illustrated by the relationship between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson. Their affair serves as an “oedipal reaction to his parents’ denial of his own manhood” and embodies his constant struggle to break away from the restrictions placed on him by his parents and his suburban lifestyle. The final scene of the film in which he flees on a bus with Elaine, his girlfriend, demonstrates his triumph over these restraints.