Sons and Lovers as Symbols of the Oedipal Complex: The Impact of Mother-Son Relationships on Adult Identity

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the utilization of Freud’s theory of the Oedipal Complex in bringing out the mother-son relationship leading to the gradual improvement of adult identity. The significant notion of the psychoanalysis laid down by Freud related to the Oedipal Complex denotes a son’s psychological and interpersonal growth is tuned by the secretive passion and hatred towards his father that sprouted up in the early years. The intricate dynamics of the bond of mother and son are understood by analyzing the factors of formation of identity, regulations of emotions, and the patterns of relation in the period of adulthood. Great stress has been given to the resoluteness or persistence of the clashes related to the Oedipal complex and the impact on self-perception, relationships based on interpersonal, and mental peace and calmness.  The study incorporates psychological research with age-old psychoanalytic constructs to illustrate how maternal bonds heavily influence our social relationships, attachment styles, and personality characteristics. The subtle but consequential nature of unresolved mother-son interaction with the hope that through understanding we can advance the development of the more civil adult psyche is noted and attention is paid to the complex psychological processes through which identity develops, with no one factor being solely responsible; however, the impact of original family quadrants on later life is demonstrated.