▪ You mustn't play with Daddy's toys unless he lets you, Larry,” she said severely. “Daddy doesn't play with yours.” For some reason Father looked at her as if she had struck him and then turned away with a scowl.
My Oedipus Complex
by Frank O’Connor
Summary
▪ Larry, a five-year-old boy, grew up in his own safe world with just himself and his mother. However, when his father, a man whom Larry hardly knows, returned from WWI, a constant battle happened between Larry and his father for the mother's love and attention.
▪ Indication: lock of father's love
the cruety of the war
▪ When his back was turned, Mother let me get a chair and rummage through his treasures. She didn't seem to think so highly of them as he did.
▪ Why didn't Mother care about Father's staff?
The first version:
▪ Father suffered a lot from the war, and these things seemed like the signs of the past. However, She didn't understand these, therefore, her husband's treasures meaned just toys for her.
பைடு நூலகம்
▪ I put my feet out from under the clothes--I called them Mrs. Left and Mrs. Right--and invented dramatic situations for them in which they discussed the problems of the day.
▪ What are the characteristics of Larry?
▪ cares a lot about his mother. ▪ childish, but behaves like an adult person, and
observes things in detail and analyzes them logically. ▪ has sophisticated words and thoughts. ▪ pays great attention to equality and fairness
Why did Father response like that?
▪ What caused the conflicts between Larry and Father?
▪ “What time is it?” he asked in a panicstricken voice, not looking Mother but the door, as if he saw someone there. “It’s early yet,” she replied soothingly. “It’s only the child. Go to sleep again....Now, Larry,” she added...
▪ 2）Because of the WWI, most of men were on the battlefiled, so Larry spent many times with women and had little chance to know the diffenence between Mrs and Mr.
▪ Why did Larry call them Mrs left and Mrs Right? What did this indicate？
▪ 1) Because of the lock of father's love, he was relying too much on his mother.
▪ Father got hurt because her wife didin't understand him, even worse, she didn't treat her husband as a man, but another Larry.
The second version:
▪ She wanted to be a mediator between son and husband and tried to connect them. For example, by leting Larry play with Father's treasures, Larry can know more about his father. Although She didn't say directly, but she implied that father should make a step into the son’s world , communicating with the son and showing his love.