Part II    Psychodynamic Theories44
fei75766_ch02_019-071.indd 44  02/19/20 08:59 AMThese anxieties aregenerally accompanied byfeelings ofambiva -
lence toward their loveobject (mother), andbytheincreased abil-
ityoftheir budding egotodefend itself against theenvironment 
andagainst anxiety (Freud, 1933/1964).
Infants’ defense against theenvironment isgreatly aided by
theemergence ofteeth. Atthispoint, theypassintoasecond oral
phase, which Freud (1933/1964) called theoral-sadistic period. Dur-
ingthisphase, infants respond toothers through biting, cooing, 
closing theirmouth, smiling, andcrying. Their firstautoerotic expe-
rience isthumb sucking, adefense against anxiety thatsatisfies their
sexual butnottheirnutritional needs.
Aschildren grow older, themouth continues tobeanerog-
enous zone, andbythetimetheybecome adults, theyarecapable 
ofgratifying theiroralneeds inavariety ofways, including sucking 
candy, chewing gum, biting pencils, overeating, smoking cigarettes, 
pipes, andcigars, andmaking biting, sarcastic remarks.
Anal Phase
Theaggressive drive, which during thefirstyearoflifetakes theform 
oforalsadism, reaches fuller development during thesecond year
when theanusemerges asasexually pleasurable zone. Because this
period ischaracterized bysatisfaction gained through aggressive behavior andthrough 
theexcretory function, Freud (1933/1964) called itthesadistic-anal phase or,more 
briefly, theanal phase ofdevelopment. Thisphase isdivided intotwosubphases, the
earlyanalandthelateanal.
During theearly anal period, children receive satisfaction bydestroying orlos-
ingobjects. Atthistime, thedestructive nature ofthesadistic drive isstronger than
theerotic one,andchildren often behave aggressively toward theirparents forfrus-
trating them with toilet training.
Then, when children enter thelate anal period, theysometimes takeafriendly 
interest toward theirfeces, aninterest thatstems from theerotic pleasure ofdefecat -
ing.Frequently, children willpresent theirfeces totheparents asavalued prize (Freud, 
1933/1964). Iftheirbehavior isaccepted andpraised bytheirparents, thenchildren 
arelikely togrow intogenerous andmagnanimous adults. However, iftheir“gift” is
rejected inapunitive fashion, children mayadopt another method ofobtaining anal
pleasure—withholding thefeces untilthepressure becomes bothpainful anderotically 
stimulating. Thismode ofnarcissistic andmasochistic pleasure laysthefoundation for
theanal character —people whocontinue toreceive erotic satisfaction bykeeping and
possessing objects andbyarranging them inanexcessively neatandorderly fashion. 
Freud (1933/1964) hypothesized thatpeople whogrow intoanalcharacters were, as
children, overly resistant totoilet training, often holding backtheirfeces andprolong -
ingthetimeoftraining beyond thatusually required. Thisanaleroticism becomes 
transformed intotheanal triad oforderliness, stinginess, andobstinacy thattypifies the
adult analcharacter.
Freud (1933/1964) believed that,forgirls, analeroticism iscarried over
intopenis envyduring thephallic stage andcaneventually beexpressed bygiving 
Infants satisfy oralneeds onewayoranother.
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