Look for signs of excessive jealousy towards the same - sex parent. For example, if a son shows extreme irritation when his father spends time with his mother. It could be a sign of the Oedipus complex.
One real - life example could be a young boy who is overly possessive of his mother's attention and gets jealous when his father is around. He might constantly try to interrupt their conversations or seek more physical closeness with his mother. This can be seen as a mild form of the Oedipus complex, where the boy unconsciously desires his mother's exclusive love.
Sigmund Freud himself analyzed some cases that he believed showed signs of the Oedipus complex. For example, he studied the relationship between a patient and his parents and noted behaviors such as excessive possessiveness towards the mother and hostility towards the father. However, these were clinical interpretations. Another example could be in literature - inspired real - life situations. Some writers have based their characters on real - life individuals with Oedipus - like tendencies, where a son has an inordinate emotional connection to his mother that affects his psychological and social development.
None of Eileen Chang's works contained the concept of the father complex because the father complex was a psychological concept used to describe an individual's dependence and desire for their father. Zhang Ailing was a famous author whose works involved various subjects, including love, marriage, family, society, etc., but did not show any obvious features of her father complex.
However, Zhang Ailing's works also often had the image of fathers, such as Mr. Xie Shida in Red Rose and White Rose, Fan Liuyuan in Love of a Fallen City, etc. The fathers in these works were portrayed as talented, charming, and responsible characters, forming a sharp contrast with the other characters in Zhang Ailing's novels. Therefore, it can be said that although the father image in Zhang Ailing's works does not necessarily have the characteristics of the father complex, it is still an important character image that has a profound impact on the plot and theme of the novel.
In some cases, like a boy I knew. His mother was very protective and doting. As he grew up, he had difficulty forming healthy relationships with other women because he unconsciously compared them to his mother. He was always seeking that same level of unconditional love he received from his mother, which is a manifestation of the Oedipus complex in a real - life context. This complex influenced his romantic choices and how he interacted with the opposite sex.
Well, in some families, a boy may show extreme protectiveness towards his mother. Let's say there is a family where the father is often away for work. The son might start to take on the role of the'man of the house' in an overzealous way. He may not like it when his mother shows any interest in other men, even in a platonic sense. This could be related to the Oedipus complex as he has an intense emotional bond with his mother that goes beyond the normal mother - son relationship.
In families with Oedipus complex - like situations, communication can break down. The son might be so focused on his mother that he ignores his father's attempts to bond. This can lead to a rift between father and son, and also put strain on the relationship between the mother and father. If the mother indulges the son too much, it can make the situation worse. For instance, if she always takes the son's side against the father, it can create a very dysfunctional family dynamic. Over time, this can affect the emotional well - being of all family members.