Evil Queens Everywhere

Abstract

In this study, the trope of the envious mother is examined in seven prose texts from the time period between 1891 and 1953 along psychoanalytical lines. Freud’s thesis of penis envy, as well as the assumption that this envy manifests itself in the mother’s envy through transference, provides the theoretical basis. The literary examples chosen are fascinating, however the methodological framework proves to be too rigid: The author ignores the socio-historical contextualization and does not critically qualify the penis envy theory. Accordingly, the methodological shortcomings of orthodox psychoanalytical literary interpretation are unavoidable. The multifaceted nature of the literary trope thus falls short.