Sunday 5 December 2004

On marriage and the Oedipal complex

Do desi guys display a sense of attachment to their mothers more than other races, and vice versa mothers to son(s) ? If so, is this state of affairs unhealthy and what is the impact (negative or otherwise) on prospective future daughter-in-laws when dealing with her inlaws ? Do wives feel like outsiders, like being married to the mob ? The south asian psyche is littered with references to the joys of having a son, both in geet and fillum - and likewise, there is little idolization of daughter-in-laws, who at best appear subtly marginalised and at worst, are an unwanted participant in an emotionally intensive 'menage a trois' where the other two players are loathed to give space. Conversely, how difficult is it for guys to maintain the balancing act of spending quality time with their partners without feeling guilty about not interacting as frequently with parents as they did in a pre-married era ?

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