Father as the Penis

she tossed back her head when she laughed….. he could do Mom, too”. Peters 2004, 55-56

E. Father as the Penis

The discussions before have talked about the mother’s role in the process of the identification of Liam’s sex-typing. Nevertheless, it is not merely the mother has contribution to the process; the male parental unit does too. Though the absent of the mother and the envy of vaginawomb that already been discussed can be the closure to the matter of discussion, the fraction of the father will add the argument as the complement. In experiencing the womb envy, Liam wants to cut his penis off as his statement of envying the womb and its attribute. However there is another reason of why he does want to lose his penis. Has been mentioned in the second chapter that the “The ideal situation for the adoption of culturally approved, appropriate sex-role behaviors would be one in which 1. The same-sex parent is seen as nurturant and possessing desirable characteristic.” 46 The reference of ‘same-sex’ here is the father, because Liam born as a male, and the word ‘nurturant’ means: “providing of loving care and attention.” 47 Nevertheless what the writer found here is an argument that contradicting to that statement. 46 Paul Henry Mussen, et al., Child Development and Personality 3rd edition New York: Harper And Row Publisher, 1969, p. 361. 47 nurturant. n.d.. Merriam-Websters Medical Dictionary. Retrieved February 04, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http:dictionary.reference.combrowsenurturant Since that the evident of Liam’s femininity can be seen since his phallic stage age between 3-6, it brought Liam’s father Mr. O’Neil to feel agonized. When Liam is in his battle of winning his Oedipus complex mother’s love and start to identifying himself as her—as the result of his womb envy process, father sees this as an humiliation as father has failed to put the appropriate gender role that expected by society. It then leads his father to force him to take more masculine role in his life and to be involves in whole macho things that he has arranged see part a. “Grandpa was always nice to us. To me Regan, anyway. He used to tease Liam about being a sissy. Spar with him; punch him in the stomach. There was an argument once. Loud. Grandpa hit Liam so hard he fell down and Dad charged across the living room, spinning grandpa around and threatening him with a fist. ‘Keep your hands off him,’ dad said. ‘Don’t you ever touch my son again’” Peters 2004, 108-109 Grandfather himself as the part of society always teases Liam by being too effeminate as a boy, and once his father defends him “don’t you ever touch my son again” Peters, 2004: 108-109 This defense that Liam’s father shown is an example of admittance or justification, which he has failed to make Liam identifies him. This embarrassment feeling that eventually make Liam’s father always giving hard time to Liam. “All these years he’d Liam’s father tortured Liam with the sports, the sports. His unrealistic expectations. He’d made Liam feel like a failure, feel inadequate as a son.” Peters 2004, 228. It can be correlated this hard time that always given by Liam’s father that then Liam views as the not nurturing him—not providing loving care and attention. It then leads Liam himself admits that his boy role was not even himself. “Liam. Who’s that? A caricature I’ve created. A puppet, a mime, a cartoon character. I’m this male macho version of a son that Dad has in his head. ” Peters 2004, 18 In possessing desirable characteristic “Boys identify with their fathers if the fathers are perceived as strong, powerful, nurturant,” 48 already known that Mr. O’Neil is not nurturant, Liam hardly sees his father as a strong and powerful person. After got downsized in Sears, his role as the head of the family is now lowered to some other level. In other hand, Liam’s mother is got herself a job and being busy with that, “He Mr. O’Neil wasn’t crazy about Mom’s job. Specifically, her elevating her own status from Wife and Mother to More Significant Other.” Peters 2004, 7 If the penis symbolizing the father’s masculinity, son ought to views thus possession as something that is wanted—and also as possessed parts to win the mother’s love in oedipal battle. However, since the father did not have any characteristic that desirable to be identified to, the penis no longer has function or symbolized as power. Thus made the concept that why should Liam have penis, if the possession of the vagina could bring him into state of power mother as power 49 . The penis also has disappointed Liam. Back in his oedipal battle, the penis has let him down in winning the mother’s love. Therefore, this is another explanation of how he wants to diminish his penis. Furthermore, since penis is symbolized as masculine father, 48 Paul Henry Mussen, et al, op. cit. p. 362 49 If penis can still be symbolized as power, then the form has changed. Now Liam sees that penis is in his mother. he no longer wants to be father, whereas father is a man, he no longer wants to be a man.

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION