Dear Dr. Sigmund Freud,
I am Dr. Wilhelm Français. We met briefly once at the psychiatric convention in Vienna. We conversed on the subject of cocaine and its uses. I still insist, it is a very addictive and the chances of overdose are far too high for my comfort as a doctor. Nonetheless, I am not writing to you to continue this repartee.
It has come to my attention that you, after seeing the recent revival of Sophocles’s Oedipus the King, posited a recent theory regarding sexual development.
Truly, the play was a moving piece of literature—a tragedy indeed. Sophocles was an extraordinary playwright. He is a stubborn and great leader to the Thebans. It was deeply touching to witness his incredible human strength against the obstacles that stood between him and the truth, and even more to endure it. He accepts responsibility for all his actions. I admire him for his integrity, remaining true to his word and pursuing the truth even it led to his ultimate downfall. Never, I believe, has a character existed who is noble, courageous, and strong as poor Oedipus.
I confess, however, that I was perturbed by your interpretations of Oedipus’s conflict and the compassion that we feel for him. In your recent article “The Destiny of Oedipus,” you describe your curiosity in the similarities between the modern and contemporary Greek reactions. You thought that there must be a deeper and more profound significance to our feeling moved. You finally concluded, “His destiny moves us only because it might have been ours—because the oracle laid the same curse upon us before our birth as upon him” (1355). You propounded the notion that Oedipus’s story and destiny shows the fulfillment of our own inner wishes—to have sex with our mother and to kill our father. Apparently, we fear our fathers because they will castrate us. Your argument is fairly well developed albeit not well supported.
It is impossible for me to respond subtly, so I will get straight to the point: what the hell?! I have no desire whatsoever to think about my mother—may she rest in peace forever—in a sexual manner. I am certain that those sexual impulses did not exist either when I was a young man. I love my wife dearly, and I have never loved or desired any one like her. I find it difficult to believe that most boys would be attracted to their mothers, much less to kill their fathers. Even if those feelings existed and were to become suppressed, as you say they do, the mere notion is preposterous. The love we feel for our mothers is truly unique, yet it transcends animalistic, lusty feelings. In addition, our fathers are another recipient of love and admiration.
Moreover, thinking of Oedipus, how could Oedipus have been inclined to sexually desire his mother? Oedipus initially has no idea that Iocastê is his biological mother, and the man he kills, Oedipus believes, is a stranger on the road. He believes that he has run away from his true parents. When Oedipus finally discovers the truth about his past, my heart wrenched in pain for him. However, I, in no way, believe that I could have been him. My compassion for Oedipus stems from my admiration for human strength and courage and my wish for others to feel no pain. Even more venerable is Oedipus’s realization that true human happiness is based on an illusion.
I might be willing to concede that cocaine is acceptable because of its benefits for surgical patients, but I refuse to accept this new theory about Oedipus and psychosexual development. I say this with the utmost respect possible: you would do well to discard this theory. It is entirely perverted, and I a fear that others may condemn you as a lunatic.
Otherwise, I hope that you are doing well in your psychiatric research. May we have the pleasure of meeting again soon. Thank you for your time and patience.
From,
Dr. Wilhelm Français
(672)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Will,
This is a great blog post! I am personally fascinated by Freud and all of his theories (and psychology in general), so this post was a particularly interesting one for me. This was a sincerely creative, entertaining, and funny approach to Oedipus. However, I was talking about Freud's Oedipus theory with a couple of people this past weekend, and his theory does not suggest a sexual interest in one's parent in the graphic sense. Instead, he indicates that young children have a special kind of love for their parents in the sense that if a young child is asked who he wants to marry when he grows, he'll say "My mom!" Anywho, this is a great post!
Ayten
Great Job! Way to go above and beyond by finding an entirely separate article to blog about. Without having read the article, I cannot evaluate some of your points with certainty. However, I would tend to agree with your skepticism regarding the widespread sexual desire men may feel towards their mothers. In general though, this is a very inventive and funny post. Good job... doctor French.
Great blog, Dr. Wilhelm. I agree with your view of Freud's interpretation; it is rather strange and somewhat ignorant of the emotional power of literature. However, I believe that the important point to be taken from his writing on Oedipus, the point that links the psychological aspect of the play with the reader, is the idea of the realization of the early subconscious. Also, though his description of sexually desiring our mothers and wanting to kill our fathers may be a little bizarre, when taken less literally and more mildly the analysis, at least on the psychological level, makes some sense.
Wilhelm, what an original, lively, and downright fun format for your blog entry. Clever, fun to read, and thoughtful as well. Thanks.
Post a Comment