ABSTRACT
One might wonder what would have happened had psychoanalysis been the brainchild of a woman rather than of a man. Instead of the Oedipus story – a man’s drama – it is likely that the myth of Electra would have been the point of departure. It offers an excellent illustration of some of the pitfalls that women face in their development. Had the first psychoanalytic thinker been female, the mother might well have played a far more significant role. It was not until after he had formulated the greater part of his theory that Freud described the emotional ramifications of the special mother-daughter bond.
