Abstract
In full support of Marsha H. Levy-Warren's thesis that adolescence is another key focal point of oedipal negotiations, this discussion stretches the argument further, inviting us to dispense with the notion of normative developmental progression in oedipal resolution and replace it with a nonlinear model that makes room for variation, marginality, and multiplicity regarding gender and sexual identity, with none privileged over the other in defining healthy outcomes. Finally, a more radical proposal is presented: substituting “stage” with “position” in clinically understanding both Oedipus and adolescence—a negotiation between ego, anxieties, and defenses; a structural rather than temporal model in which tumultuous triadic and intrapsychic negotiations take precedence in a particular developmental era and then remain in place dialectically throughout life. To elucidate their explanatory potential, the concepts of oedipal and adolescent positions are applied to gender-variant development and menopause. In conclusion, the answer to “Wherefore Oedipus?” is “Oedipal forever.”
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call