Electra complex: all there is to know about the female Oedipus complex
The Electra complex is a normal phase in the growth of a little girl who, for a certain period of time, finds herself harboring an unconscious jealousy of her mother, competing with her for the love of her father. The Electra complex. , in a nutshell, it is none other than the female version of the Oedipus complex, which sees a child projecting his love on the mother, opposing the father: in both cases it is a phase of psychosexual development of the children that involves an attachment to the parent of the opposite sex.
The Electra complex tends to disappear by itself: its overcoming is natural, it corresponds to a maturation of the child, it is an important step in structuring her personality. This overcoming occurs through identification with the mother, but always passes through a profound inner conflict, feelings of guilt towards the parent of the same sex: only through this complex will the child be able to understand her own role in family dynamics.
The Electra complex is therefore a passing phase, but it is important that it be addressed and overcome in the best possible way, because otherwise it could have important consequences in the psychosexual development of the child. A woman who has not overcome the Electra complex and still carries it within herself could have problems in relating with partners of the opposite sex: it is easy for her to always feel dissatisfied, insecure, that she does not think she is loved enough. Idealizing the father figure will lead her to have difficulty in finding a partner equal to her father, who will always remain her prince charming.
Let's take a closer look at what the Electra complex is, what differentiates it from the Oedipus complex, what are its phases and when it is overcome. In the meantime, however, be careful not to criminalize the attachment of a child to her father, which in itself has nothing pathological! Look how sweet this choreography is danced by daughter and dad:
What is the Electra complex and how is it different from the Oedipus complex?
The Electra complex, as we said, is nothing more than a feminine Oedipus complex. If in the Oedipus complex the child is attracted to the mother and feels jealous for the father, in the complex of Electra it will be the child who will be attracted to the parent of the opposite sex and therefore compete with the mother for the love of the father.
The Oedipus complex was introduced in psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud, while that of Electra by Carl Gustav Jung, precisely with the intention of filling a gap in Freud's theory, which had dealt with the psychosexual development of boys, leaving aside that of girls. .
Carl Gustav Jung decided to call it "Electra complex" referring to the Greek myth of Electra, who killed her mother Clytemnestra to avenge the murder of her father Agamemnon (killed by Clytemnestra herself and her lover Egisto). Probably the myth of Oedipus, who unknowingly married his mother, is more fitting than that of Electra to represent the amorous attraction of a child towards the parent of the opposite sex, but in concept it is clear: the myth of Electra places at the center a "deadly" conflict between daughter and mother for the sake of the father.
Jung places the Electra complex for girls during what Freud called the "phallic phase", ie between 3 and 6 years of age. In this phase, while the child goes through the so-called "castration complex" (ie the fear of losing the penis induced by the sense of guilt for wanting the mother), the girls - again according to Freud - suffer from "penis envy": they would like in fact, they too possess the penis and take it out on the mother not only as a rival for the love of the father, but also for not having created them with the penis.
The overcoming of the Electra complex would therefore take place in parallel with the overcoming of penis envy: the little girl, little by little, becomes aware of her own female sexuality and after having "hated" her mother, around the age of six she begins to take her as a model , identifying with her as a woman.
What are the phases of the Electra complex?
According to Freud, the psychosexual development of children goes through five different phases, according to the areas of the child's body from which the libido originates: oral, anal, phallic, latent and genital. As we have seen, the Oedipus and Electra complexes occur during the phallic phase, around the age of three.
In this period, the little girl begins to seek more and more attention and expressions of affection from her father, projecting her loving attraction on him. She will continually try to take refuge in her arms, to attract his eyes, while the mother will become a terrible rival who tries to "get in the way" between the child and her father. If the Electra complex is particularly strong, the child may also be aggressive towards her mother.
At a later stage, between the ages of three and five, the child will begin to understand the impossibility of her love for the father figure, who cannot satisfy her libido. This awareness will lead her, between five and six years of age. , to renounce her rivalry with her mother, silencing the impulses towards her father. Her loving attention will shift to a male figure outside the family, while she will make peace with her mother, starting to consider her a real model to follow and in which to identify as a woman.
When does the overcoming of the Electra complex take place?
Although the Electra complex represents a natural phase in the psychosexual development of every child, it is important that the parents help her to overcome it with balance and gentleness. How to do it? Above all, it will be up to the father figure to set limits with respect to the daughter's wishes, valuing the mother on every occasion.
All this, however, without exaggerating: the child will overcome the conflict on her own, there is no need to get excessively angry if she should prove aloof or jealous towards her mother, just as there is no reason - on the part of the father - to refuse his kisses and hugs, indeed! Similar behavior on the part of the parent of the opposite sex could reinforce feelings of guilt in her and make her feel - in the future - sexually inhibited. Any punitive or violent attitude must be completely eliminated.
Between the ages of 5 and 6, the child will give up on her own to take the place of her mother next to her father and will spontaneously begin to imitate her mother, thus maturing a correct psychological approach towards both parents.
