fei75766_ch05_149-178.indd 162  02/06/20 11:22 AM
Part II    Psychodynamic Theories162
Next, hemoves toaheterosexual relationship withhismother, butbecause ofhisprevi -
oushomosexual feeling forhisfather, hehasnofearthathisfather willcastrate him.
Klein believed thatthispassive homosexual position isaprerequisite fortheboy’s 
development ofahealthy heterosexual relationship withhismother. More simply, the
boymust haveagood feeling about hisfather’s penis before hecanvalue hisown.
Astheboymatures, however, hedevelops oral-sadistic impulses toward his
father andwants tobiteoffhispenis andtomurder him.These feelings arouse cas-
tration anxiety andthefearthathisfather willretaliate against himbybiting offhis
penis. Thisfearconvinces thelittleboythatsexual intercourse withhismother would 
beextremely dangerous tohim.
Theboy’s Oedipus complex isresolved onlypartially byhiscastration anxiety. 
Amore important factor ishisability toestablish positive relationships withboth
parents atthesame time. Atthatpoint, theboyseeshisparents aswhole objects, 
acondition thatenables himtowork through hisdepressive position.
Forbothgirlsandboys, ahealthy resolution oftheOedipus complex depends 
ontheirability toallow theirmother andfather tocome together andtohavesexual 
intercourse witheachother. Noremnant ofrivalry remains. Children’s positive feel-
ingstoward bothparents laterserve toenhance theiradult sexual relations.
Insummary, Klein believed thatpeople arebornwithtwostrong drives—the 
lifeinstinct andthedeath instinct. Infants develop apassionate caring forthegood 
breast andanintense hatred forthebadbreast, leaving aperson tostruggle alifetime 
toreconcile these unconscious psychic images ofgood andbad,pleasure andpain. 
Themost crucial stage oflifeisthefirstfewmonths, atimewhen relationships with
mother andother significant objects form amodel forlaterinterpersonal relations. 
Aperson’s adult ability toloveortohateoriginates withthese early object relations.
Later Views on Object Relations
Since Melanie Klein’s boldandinsightful descriptions, anumber ofother theorists 
haveexpanded andmodified object relations theory. Among themore prominent 
ofthese latertheorists areMargaret Mahler, Heinz Kohut, John Bowlby, andMary 
Ainsworth.
Margaret Mahler’s View
Margaret Schoenberger Mahler (1897–1985) wasborninSopron, Hungary, and
received amedical degree from theUniversity ofVienna in1923. In1938, shemoved 
toNewYork, where shewasaconsultant totheChildren’s Service oftheNewYork 
State Psychiatric Institute. Shelaterestablished herownobservational studies atthe
Masters Children’s Center inNewYork. From 1955 to1974, shewasclinical profes -
sorofpsychiatry atAlbert Einstein College ofMedicine.
Mahler wasprimarily concerned withthepsychological birth oftheindividual 
thattakes place during thefirst3years oflife,atimewhen achild gradually sur-
renders security forautonomy. Originally, Mahler’s ideas came from herobserva -
tionofthebehaviors ofdisturbed children interacting withtheirmothers. Later, she
observed normal babies astheybonded withtheirmothers during thefirst36months 
oflife(Mahler, 1952).Final PDF to printer