The Oedipus Complex in Literature Essays - 3480 Words

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the Oedipus Complex is a child’s positive libidinal feelings toward the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that develop usually between the ages of three and six and that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved (Merriam-Webster). In Sons and Lovers, Paul Morel demonstrates the classic symptoms of the Oedipus complex. Paul and his father’s relationship is destroyed early in his life. His father was not around to be a role model; and, as a result, Paul developed a strong love for his mother. Once he was old enough to develop true feelings for other women, his mother’s opinion often got in the way.†¦show more content†¦This is similar to the time period that D.H. Lawrence, himself, lived. Many people believe that this book is semi-autobiographical. In this time period that miners were trying to earn higher pay (Novel Guide). Lawre nces father worked in the mines and faced raises and pay cuts in the following months (Novel Guide). Walter Morel is based on this real life character (Novel Guide). After the education act of 1870 was passed, all children went to school for little or no fees (Novel Guide). This increased the chance of children growing up and getting a successful job. In Sons and Lovers, all of the children went to school in hope of not falling in their fathers footsteps and becoming a miner. David Herbert Lawrence was born in Eastland, England on September 11, 1885. He was the fourth of five children. . He struggled to be himself at school and felt the need to prove himself in the mining pits. His brother, William Ernest, was his role model and followed in his prestigious academic footsteps. After this hard work, he received a recently established scholarship and chose to attend Nottingham High School. In high school, David had a hard time distinguishing himself from the other students. He struggled to keep up with the other scholarship recipients. He was having issues with his family after his uncle killed his own son. He decided to drop out of school at age 15. He found a low paying job, but was distracted by his father’s sudden deathly illness.Show MoreRelatedSigmund Freud s Theory And Criticism1345 Words   |  6 PagesMidterm Essays Freud and Literature At some point in life, everyone has heard the name Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was born in 1856, and went on to become one of the most talked about theorists. He is known as the father of psychoanalysis and has left behind an everlasting legacy. There were two influential and sometimes controversial theories that Freud left behind. Sigmund Freud’s big legacy was his work with dreams and the unconscious. This work can relate to literature on a large scale. 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Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers (1913) is a text that cries out for a psychoanalytic interpretation.One of Freud’s most famous theories is the Oedipus complex, which deals with a child’s emerging sexuality. Freud used the story of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex to help illustrate his theory. In the story, Oedipus unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother. According to Freud, all male children form an erotic attachment to their mother and are jealous of the relationship