Japanese
people and the oedipal issue
In his quest for the truth of human mind, Freud
discovered that boys have a desire for his mother and jealousy and anger toward
his father. Subsequently boys have a fear of being castrated in response
to sexual interest in the mother. He believed that forms a complex which he
appeared to have believed can be seen universally across the culture. If this
story still reflects Western and European, or Judeo-Christian mentality, “could
it be found in the West in a similar way?” is a serious question. The
afore-mentioned Kosawa’s notion of Ajase complex is one of the responses to
this crucial question. It is not the father’s punishment which produces the
feelings of guilt, but the forgiveness (of the mother) does. Is there any other
way of responding to this question in the context of Japanese secretiveness and
non-expression? I believe there is.
In Japanese households, sons and fathers are close
enough, but sons’ tie to their father is much less intimate as their tie to their
mothers. They spend much longer time, tend to sleep in the same room much
longer than Western boys who tend to be given their individual bed room very
soon after their birth. Father’s influence is still powerful, but is distracted
to their own jobs. In a sense, sons can “own” their mothers much more
carelessly than Western boys, and their fear of punishment and castration
anxiety is much less realistic than what Freud thought.
As I stated before, the punitive agent in their society is not altogether father-like powerful figure. It can be the group or society that an individual belongs to. In Japanese society, it is risky to be conspicuous as he might be looked at as someone who disturb the peace of the society. Peacefulness and harmony is regarded as the most important. People strive to be like others in order to avoid being ostracized by the society. In oedipal story, the taboo is the hostility toward the father. In Japanese society, taboo is to challenge the hidden or unwritten rules which govern the society.
As I stated before, the punitive agent in their society is not altogether father-like powerful figure. It can be the group or society that an individual belongs to. In Japanese society, it is risky to be conspicuous as he might be looked at as someone who disturb the peace of the society. Peacefulness and harmony is regarded as the most important. People strive to be like others in order to avoid being ostracized by the society. In oedipal story, the taboo is the hostility toward the father. In Japanese society, taboo is to challenge the hidden or unwritten rules which govern the society.
