The Son's Secret: From Oedipus to the Prodigal Son

by Massimo Recalcati, Alice Kilgarriff (Translator)

Overview

This new book by Massimo Recalcati focuses on the psycho-social life of the son. Comparing and contrasting the tragic story of Oedipus by Sophocles and the parable of the prodigal son, Recalcati argues that all common parenting strategies, whether authoritarian or democratic, are attempts at sealing the fate of sons – that is, they are designed to ensure that sons realize the dreams and fantasies of the parents. But all that sons want – and this is their secret because they generally do not want, or are unable, to confront their parents directly – is to be recognized as unique, as different, as independent, free-thinking individuals who are able to chart their own path in life, rather than extensions of their parents' fantasies. The parents' task is to acknowledge this, and to create the space for this desire to flourish.

Continuing his remarkable reflections on parents, children and family life, this new book by one of Italy's leading and bestselling public intellectuals will be of interest to a wide general readership.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781509531769
Publisher:	Polity Press
Publication date:	05/04/2020
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.45(d)

About the Author

Massimo Recalcati is a bestselling author and psychoanalyst who teaches at the universities of Pavia and Verona.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1

1 Oedipus: The Son of Guilt 9

The Child's Condition; The Word and Language; The Slave-Messenger; Oedipus, The Son; The Innocent-Guilty; Infanticide; Violence Without Law; A Tragedy of Light; Nemesis; 'You Are the Curse, the Corruption of this Land'; Oedipus and Hamlet; Descending into the Grave; How Much Truth Can One Man Bear?

Part 2

2 The Prodigal Son 45

The Rain; Another Son to Bend the Law of Destiny; The Parable of the Prodigal Son; 'Give Me My Share of the Estate!'; A Bad Interpretation of the Law; Isaac the Son; The Father's Gift and the Celebration of Rediscovery; The Son's Return; The Chance For a New Life; Rembrandt's Portrait; The Rightful Son; Freud on the Acropolis; The Resurrection of Life; The Scar that Becomes a Poem

Epilogue 85

Notes 90