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36
MariaKorusiewicz
chaos,theno-placeofthePlatonickhora.Wallsarebuiltbetweenthelightand
darkness,reasonandemotion,egoandid,manandthemonstrous.However,in
ourdualisticuniverseofoppositeforceswetendtoforgetthatwhatisunderesti-
matedand/orfeared,isifweusethewordsofPlatoour“monstrousmother,”
“thematrix,”theparadoxical“nurseofallbecoming”thathastobefacedand
accepted.
Westerntraditionstendtorenderdominantfemalemotifsaslessvalid;the
remnantsofanearlierstageinthedevelopmentofculture.“Teperceiveduni-
versalityofOedipuscomplexhasresultedinthedefinitionofmother-soncon-
flictsasmoreprimitive.”Consequently,“ithasinfluencedviewsofaggressive
phenomenaasadaptive,andself-sacrificeasaggressionturnedinward.”Iwould
replacethewordinwithfromintheformerquotation.Feministcriticismtaught
uslongagothattheOedipaltransferenceoferoticismandpowerinpsychologi-
caltheorieshasvalidatedthealreadydeveloped,essentialmaleviewofculture.
TemajordiferencebetweenFreudandKosawaandbetweentheOedipus
mythandthestoryofAjaseliesintheperspectiveeachtakesonthefeminine.
IntheOedipusmyththefeminineforceremainslockedwithintherealmofthe
monstrous,inhabitedbothbythefemaleSphinxandtheincestuousbutpassive
Jocasta.IntheJapanesestoryitistheenergyofthemother-sonrelationthatis
alwaysinfocusandshapestheplot.BothAjaseandtheQueenareabletomove
intotherealmofviolenceandmonstrosity;however,theyalwaysemergefrom
itwithsomeemotionalandspiritualgain,whichimmediatelyinfluencessocial
relations.Hisevilintentionsinthefaceofall-forgivinglovebecomethesourceof
guiltfeelings,openingthepathtoawakeningandreconciliation.Herguiltfeel-
ingsaretransformedintocompassionatelove.
TereisnofearinvolvedasisthecaseofOedipus;paternalaggressionis
absenthere.Teshifinthepositionandroleofa“mother”marksthedińerence
betweenthedisjunctivecategoryoffiliationdefiningtheOedipus-Jocastarela-
tionshipandthemutuallysupportiverelationshipofalliancethefinalresolu-
tionoftheconflictandemotionalclosenessofAjaseandtheQueen.31Female,
pre-OedipaltransferencesofKosawa)sinterpretationoftheAjasestoryopen
adiferentpathforconceptualizationofculturallyshapedemotions.
TowardtheHealingoftheSelf
TefocalpointofthenarrationinAjase)sstorybecomesadeepinsightinto
thenuancesofthematterofinterpersonalrelations,whichinKosawa)sanalysis
31Cf.DeleuzeandGuattari,Anti-Oedipus,218.