Oedipus Essay, Research Paper

The Presence of the Oedipus Complex in Paul Auster & # 8217 ; s City of Glass

Throughout history literature has had several subjects or thoughts that have persisted though all of its different motions. One of these thoughts is that of the Oedipus composite. The Story of Oedipus was originally written by Sophocles in the 5th century BC. Sigmund Freud conceived the existent thought of the & # 8220 ; Oedipus Complex & # 8221 ; as it pertains to society and modern literature. A definition Oedipus composite or theory provinces that,

A male child & # 8217 ; s sexual wants in respect to his female parent go more intense and his male parent is perceived as an obstruction to them ; from this the Oedipus complex originates. His designation with his male parent so takes on a hostile colouring and alterations into a want to acquire rid of his male parent in order to take his topographic point with his female parent ( Borch-Jacobsen 268 ) .

This definition is stating in simple footings that the Oedipus composite is a desire to get married one & # 8217 ; s female parent and putting to death, destroy or take one & # 8217 ; s male parent. Upon scrutiny of Paul Auster & # 8217 ; s City of Glass one sees the Oedipus composite at work. The dramatis personae of characters in this oedipal play are Stillman Jr. as the boy, Virginia Stillman as the female parent figure, and Stillman Sr. and Daniel Quinn as Stillman Jr. & # 8217 ; s father figures.

In the novel, the male parent figure to Stillman Jr. is played by predominately by Stillman Sr. , but besides in some instances by Quinn. Harmonizing to the Oedipus complex Stillman Jr. would seek to destruct both of these work forces because they pose a menace to his relationship with his female parent or female parent figure. While Quinn poses a more typical oedipal menace, Stillman besides fits in to the Oedipus equation.

Therefore, what function does Daniel Quinn drama in Stillman Jr. & # 8217 ; s Oedipus calamity? Well his function is both untypical and typical at the same clip. The oddness of Quinn & # 8217 ; s function comes from the fact that he is non even related to Stillman Jr. However, Quinn does play the function of Stillman & # 8217 ; s father figure. He is hired to protect and function Stillman Jr. , and hence fills the function of the male parent figure. Because he acts as male parent figure, Quinn becomes a portion of the Oedipus composite. Since Stillman Jr. positions Quinn as a menace to his relationship with his female parent, he follows Freud & # 8217 ; s ideas on the complex and aims his, & # 8220 ; feelings of intense competition toward the same-sex parent, & # 8221 ; ( Bower 248 ) . Why, nevertheless would Stillman Jr. feel like this? Stillman Jr. himself admits that his married woman hires cocottes for him. Harmonizing to the theory, this makes sense. If the theory holds true, Virginia & # 8217 ; s motivation in making this is because she is Stillman & # 8217 ; s female parent figure, and hence acknowledges his desire for her, but chooses to give him an surrogate mercantile establishment for it. The actions of Stillman Jr. and Virginia in this state of affairs absolutely demonstrate oedipal desires. If Stillman Jr. had a desire to destruct Quinn for presenting a menace to his relationship, how did he carry through it? The most logical account is the fact the he knew Quinn was obsessed with his instance and the decease of it would destroy H

im. This is seemingly what happens in the narrative. Quinn is efficaciously ruined by Stillman’s instance. His devastation is what fulfills Stillman Jr.’s oedipal desires in respects to the male parent figure he had in Quinn.

As much like a male parent figure Quinn may move like to Stillman Jr. , Stillman Sr. is however his biological male parent. Well, harmonizing to psychologists oedipal desires, & # 8220 ; may originate once more when one or the other parent dies. Patients who have non negotiated these rites of transition have unresolved Oedipal jobs, & # 8221 ; ( Young ) . Because Stillman Jr. was locked in the dark room during the so called oedipal old ages and because his female parent was dead, he ne’er had a opportunity to decide his oedipal struggles. Therefore, when Stillman Sr. reemerges, Stillman Jr. & # 8217 ; s struggles resurface. His original desires can now be filled. Granted his female parent is dead, and he does non inquire Quinn to kill his male parent. The Stilmans ne’er truly state what they will make to Stillman Sr. if they find that he had a secret plan to harm Stillman Jr. One can safely presume nevertheless that if they would travel to such great and dearly-won lengths to hold Stillman Sr. followed, that holding him assassinated is non beyond them. This contention is farther reinforced by their going instantly following Stillman Sr. & # 8217 ; s evident self-destruction. It is as if their desires have been fulfilled ; they have once more reduced the oedipal trigon from three to two. Stillman Jr. & # 8217 ; s hiring of Quinn caused Stillman to perpetrate self-destruction and that is how he fulfilled his desires to kill his male parent.

Harmonizing to Oedipus, Stillman must hold a sexual attractive force for his female parent figure. In the oedipal play in the novel, Virginia Stillman plays this function. She fits into the female parent figure function because of desire to protect Stillman, although she has no physical attractive force to him. Virginia even admits that her matrimony is, & # 8220 ; non something I want for myself any longer. At least with Peter there & # 8217 ; s a intent to my life, & # 8221 ; ( Auster 33 ) . She is the adult female that Stillman loves. Stillman has an obvious unachievable lecherousness for Virginia. Harmonizing to the theory, Stillman should love Virginia. This is really evidently true. Stillman Jr. says to Quinn of Virginia, & # 8220 ; I even have a married woman. . . . She is beautiful, is she non? & # 8221 ; ( Auster 24 ) . Of all the parts of the Oedipus composite that appear in City of Glass Stillman Jr. & # 8217 ; s sexual desire for his female parent figure Virginia Stillman is the most obvious and easiest to explicate.

If one looks difficult plenty you can detect about anything that you want in a novel. The lone job with this theory is the alleged, & # 8220 ; load of proof. & # 8221 ; You can asseverate anything, but you must endorse it up. In Paul Auster & # 8217 ; s City of Glass you can asseverate many theories as to the cause of the actions of the characters. One theory that has a significant sum of cogent evidence to back up it is the Oedipus composite. As antecedently explained, the typical functions of boy, female parent figure, and father figure are filled by the characters in the narrative. An scrutiny the novel reveals the Oedipus composite is a valid, demonstrable account for the actions of the novel.