Next comes the phallic stage , approximately ages 3 to 6, when the penis
or clitoris becomes the most important erogenous zone. The key development
during the phallic stage comes toward the end of this period when the child
experiences the Oedipus complex, named for the Greek mythological charac-
ter who unknowingly marries his mother. Freud argued that children this age
develop a sexual attraction for their opposite-sex parent. Young boys have
strong incestuous desires toward their mothers, whereas young girls have
these feelings toward their fathers.
Needless to say, the children are not without their share of fear about this
development. Boys develop castration anxiety, a fear that their father will dis-
cover their thoughts and cut off their penis. If the boy has seen his sister ’sg e n i -
tals, he is said to conclude that this fate has already befallen her. Girls, upon
seeing male genitals, are said to develop penis envy. This is a desire to have a
penis, coupled with feelings of inferiority and jealousy because of its absence.
How do boys and girls resolve this conflict? Eventually the children repress
their desire for their opposite-sex parent, whom they realize they can never have
as long as the other parent is around. Then, as a type of reaction formation,children identify with the same-sex parent. Resolving the Oedipus complex
serves several important functions. By identifying with the same-sex parent,
boys begin to take on masculine characteristics and girls acquire feminine char-
acteristics. Moreover, adopting the parents ’values and standards paves the way
for the emergence of the superego. However, Freud warned that Oedipal desires
After resolution of the Oedipus complex, children pass into the latency stage. For sev-
eral years, boys will prefer to play with other boys, and girls with other girls. All of thisends with puberty.52 CHAPTER 3 The Psychoanalyt ic Approach