Chapter 4.The Oedipal Phase and Emerging Capacities
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Between the third and sixth birthdays, the young child traverses a unique stage of human development. In psychodynamic theory, the reference to this period as the oedipal phase, after the Greek figure Oedipus’s fateful -embroilment in incest and parricide, captures the child’s internal struggle over sexual and aggressive impulses toward the parents. The oedipal youngster’s passionate interest in the mysteries of the adult world, enhanced awareness of anatomical and generational differences, and beginning grasp of the parents’ private relationship leads to novel vulnerabilities, such as keen feelings of jealousy and exclusion. The mother-child dyad is irrevocably changed as children develop complex, triadic relationships and fantasies (Blum 1979); moreover, the emergence of guilt feelings intensifies inner conflict over potential wrongdoing, even in the absence of the adult. A major developmental task of this phase is the integration of aggressive, competitive urges with the child’s ongoing love for and dependency upon the parents.
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