‘Freud you’re hysterical!’ Connecting the female and the mother into psychoanalysis

This paper critically analyses how Freud’s psychoanalytic theories of the male and female oedipal complexes and their consequences, the castration complex and penis envy, relate to women’s psychological development through a feminist perspective. This will importantly connect the female voice into a male-centred discipline. Looking at feminist reaction to Freud’s theories and their subsequent modifications challenge Freud’s ‘anatomy is destiny’ theory and encapsulate the importance of social and relational factors in psychological development. Looking forward, feminists call for a more androgynous society to help reject oppression, while still celebrating differences in our gendered societies.