Help me with my upcoming lit paper!
This is my thesis:

"The Psychoanalytical school of thought has long considered the accepted psychological origin of homosexuality as a disruption in the completion of the oedipal phase. However, modern gay fiction and memoir is redifining the oedipal complex in it's own image. Specifically, the application of the oedipal phase as the desire for the parent with the gender of one's sexual preference as seen in the works of David Sedaris, Edmund White, Dorothy Allison, and my own personal experience."


I'm kind of wondering if this is just a fluke of literature or if this is a legitimate trend. Of course it's not the purpose of the paper to conduct any kind of research on the psychological landscape of the question or it's legitimacy, but if it were I think I'd have my work cut out for me. People are by and large uncomfortable with many of the ideas in Freudian theory, and I think that's what makes it such a great place for literature. Why is the idea of any sexual desire for a parent so very threatening? I think Freud is really saying that we're simply playing the parts we've been assigned. Whether that assignment is biologically inherent or learned.

My sources for this paper are A Boy's Own Story by Edmund White, Trash, a collection of short stories by Dorothy Allison, and Naked, an autobiographical novel by David Sedaris. All three of these novels deal very intimately and candidly with what at times seems to be an obsession of sorts with the parent of the same sex. Since part of my paper includes personal experience, I will be talking about my own views on the subject. So, for curiosity, please take the poll.

Also please comment if you have anything to add! I'd love to discuss this!


Poll #1316571 Oedipus and You
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: Friends, participants: 7

What is your sexual preference?

What is your opinion of Psychoanalytic/Freudian Theory?

Have you ever had any manner of sexual thoughts about your parental figure of the opposite sex?

Have you ever had any manner of obsessive thought or longing for approval of/connection with your parent of the opposite sex?

Have you ever had any manner of sexual thoughts about your parental figure of the same sex?

Have you ever had any manner of obsessive thought or longing for approval of/connection with your parent of the same sex?

When you went through your stage of resentment, who did you focus on?