Chapter 2    Freud: Psychoanalysis47
fei75766_ch02_019-071.indd 47  02/19/20 08:59 AMinstigate thecastration complex. Castration anxiety bursts forth onlywhen theboy’s 
egoismature enough tocomprehend theconnection between sexual desires andthe
removal ofthepenis.
Freud believed thatcastration anxiety waspresent inallboys, eventhose not
personally threatened withtheremoval oftheir penis orthestunting ofitsgrowth. 
According toFreud (1933/1964), aboydoesnotneed toreceive aclear threat of
castration. Anymention ofinjury orshrinkage inconnection withthepenis issuf-
ficient toactivate thechild’s phylogenetic endowment. Phylogenetic endowment is
capable offilling thegapsofourindividual experiences withtheinherited experi -
ences ofourancestors. Ancient man’s fearofcastration supports theindividual 
child’s experiences andresults inuniversal castration anxiety. Freud stated: “Itis
notaquestion ofwhether castration isreally carried out;what isdecisive isthat
thedanger threatens from theoutside andthatthechild believes init.”Hewent on
tosaythat
hints at...punishment must regularly findaphylogenetic reinforcement inhim.
Itisoursuspicion thatduring thehuman family’s primaeval period castration used
actually tobecarried outbyajealous andcruel father upon growing boys, andthat
circumcision, which sofrequently plays apartinpuberty ritesamong primitive 
peoples, isaclearly recognizable relicofit.(pp.86–87)
Once hisOedipus complex isdissolved orrepressed, theboysurrenders his
incestuous desires, changes them intofeelings oftender love,andbegins todevelop 
aprimitive superego. Hemayidentify witheither thefather orthemother, depend -
ingonthestrength ofhisfeminine disposition. Normally identification iswiththe
father, butitisnotthesame aspre-Oedipal identification. Theboynolonger wants to
behisfather; instead, heuseshisfather asamodel fordetermining rightandwrong 
behavior. Heintrojects orincorporates hisfather’s authority intohisownego,thereby 
sowing theseeds ofamature superego. Thebudding superego takes overhisfather’s 
prohibitions against incest andensures thecontinued repression oftheOedipus com-
plex(Freud, 1933/1964).
Female Oedipus Complex  Thephallic phase takes amore complicated pathforgirls
thanforboys, andthese differences areduetoanatomical differences between the
sexes (Freud, 1925/1961). Likeboys, pre-Oedipal girlsassume thatallother children 
havegenitals similar totheirown. Soon theydiscover thatboysnotonlypossess dif-
ferent genital equipment, butapparently something extra. Girls thenbecome envious 
ofthisappendage, feelcheated, anddesire tohaveapenis. Thisexperience ofpenis 
envyisapowerful force intheformation ofgirls’ personality. Unlike castration anxi-
etyinboys, which isquickly repressed, penis envymaylastforyears inoneform or
another. Freud (1933/1964) believed thatpenis envyisoften expressed asawishto
beaboyoradesire tohaveaman. Almost universally, itiscarried overintoawishto
haveababy, andeventually itmayfindexpression intheactofgiving birth toababy, 
especially aboy.
Preceding thecastration complex, agirlestablishes anidentification withher
mother similar tothatdeveloped byaboy;thatis,shefantasizes being seduced byher
mother. These incestuous feelings, according toFreud (1933/1964), arelaterturned Final PDF to printer