Ken, > I have one further suggestion: there is an interesting summary of the Oedipus Complex to be found in Frank Krutnik's book, In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity. Chapter 6 ("Masculinity and Its Discontents") not only does a good job describing the threat of castration, but, more importantly, does a great job discussing the cultural importance of this in terms of masculine power, fantasies of transgression, and over- and under-valuation of women. You should take a look -- Krutnik very clearly argues the ideological importance of the Oedipus Complex. Bethany Ogdon Hampshire College [log in to unmask] ---- To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]