An Analysis of Frank O'Connor's

An Analysis of Frank O'Connor's

  • Submitted By: tbicakci
  • Date Submitted: 10/26/2008 11:11 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 2330
  • Page: 10
  • Views: 5118

THE STUNT MAN


A. THE TERM “OEDIPUS COMPLEX”


The Oedipus Complex which is used in Frank O’Connor’s short story title is a term

coined by Sigmund Freud to explain the origin of certain neuroses in childhood. It is defined

as a male child's unconscious desire for the exclusive love of his mother. Appearing between

the ages of three and five, the child feels sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex and

desires the death of the parent of the same sex (Wikipedia). Hatred for father and love for

mother is common element of the theory. Usually, boys see their fathers as a foe who tries to

bereave their mother. Mother and son relationship lives its peak while father and son are

challenging to each other. “The Oedipus Complex” in Freudian psychoanalysis is named

after the Greek mythical character Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father, Laius, and

marries his mother, Jocasta. Freud wrote of Oedipus in The Interpretation of Dreams:

“Here is one in whom these primeval wishes of childhood have been fulfilled, and we

shrink back from him with the whole force of the repression by which those wishes have

since that time been held down within us.” According to this statement we can understand

that the great tragedy of Sophocles was the basic example for Freud’s theory.


B. ANALYSIS OF “MY OEDIPUS COMPLEX”




In the short story called “My Oedipus Complex”, Frank O’Connor tries to draw a five

year old boy’s life and unconscious filled up with obsessions about his mother’s love and

care. The story deals with the life of Frank O’Connor and it is mostly like a confession which

has never been done before. The author adapts his childhood experiences and pain throughout

the story by using Larry as his “stunt man” which makes the story more real and vivid from

top to toe. In the story, the...

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