The psycho-analytic study of the family

About this book

John Carl Flugel’s psychology study applies psychoanalysis to family relationships, with particular attention to parents and children and the tensions surrounding marriage. Rather than offer household advice, it builds an account of how unconscious love, hostility, and dependence shape conduct, then considers the ethical consequences. When hostility toward a parent is pushed out of awareness, Flugel argues, it may return as exaggerated affection and anxious fear for that parent’s safety. Religious tales of mother and son, including those of Cybele and Attis, let him consider how early attachments may be recast and restrained.