MY OEDIPUS COMPLEX
"Life is hard, you're just afraid of change," is what the late, great Shannon Hunh, of Blind Melon, wrote, and it is just how Larry feels in Frank O'Connor's, "My Oedipus Complex." In this short story, Larry, a five year old boy obsessed with his mother, suddenly sees a drastic change in his life when his father returns home from war. The tension between father and son grow until yet another change, ironically, brings them closer together. As a result of his Father's return, Larry shows signs of jealousy, immaturity, and plain rudeness. When the reader hears the story through Larry's perspective, there is definitely a connection and understanding of what is going on. The reader feels sympathy, amusement and gratification. Change comes to hurt Larry at the beginning, but another change helps him and his father more than he knows.As the story is told by Larry, it is easily seen that he has no idea of what or who a Father is supposed to do. He becomes jealous of this stranger who suddenly steals his Mother's love and attention away from him. Larry is used to seeing this man in a Santa suit, but on the day of his return he changes into a blue suit. Mother seems happier than ever, but Larry's feelings are
"I was prepared to compete with him anytime for Mother's attention, but when he had it all made up for him by other people it left me no chance" (437). He asks why? He just wants things to return to normal, for him. This amused the reader picturing a five-year old boy demanding tea and thinking of a showdown between Father and Son. "After turning me out of the big bed, he had been turned out himself. He does not see any need for this man to be there. Larry begins to realize that this change in their lives in irreversible. Ironically enough another change didn't draw them apart, but brought them closer together. Larry must learn to accept it, but he just cannot. When Larry and Mother are lying in bed between Father and she pleads not to wake daddy, Larry responds, "Full of spite, I gave Father a kick, which she didn't notice, but which made him grunt and open his eyes in alarm" (440). Life without my early morning conferences was unthinkable"(438). The reader feels sympathy when Larry first sees a change in his usual schedule. Larry cannot face the fact that his Mother has changed. Larry does not know how else to respond, to what he thinks is unfair attention.
Common topics in this essay:
Oedipus Complex,
Larry Mother,
Finally Larry,
Mom God,
Son Ironically,
COMPLEX Life,
Blind Melon,
wake daddy,
feels sympathy,
wake daddy larry,
reader feels,
larry begins,
daddy larry,
reader feels sympathy,
feels sympathy amusement,
quiet wake daddy,
sympathy amusement,
realizes father,
quiet wake,
return larry,
sympathy amusement gratification,
amusement gratification,
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Acceptance Essays
