ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins with an exploration of femininity and an exploration into masculinity became necessary. It looks at Sigmund Freud’s theory of the development of masculinity through the castration complex and the dissolution of the Oedipus complex, and aims to his theory of femininity as a deviation from this basic model. The book argues that the boy’s dis-identification and separation from mother is not a smooth and easy process but a violent affair that resembles matricide. It argues that the strength of Freud’s theory of gender identity is its portrayal of masculinity and femininity as mutual projection systems which adhere to the dichotomy between that which is ‘intact’ and that which is ‘castrated’: the boy’s castration anxiety is projected onto the girl, who accepts it in exchange for love.
