Lack (
le manque) is a central term in Lacanian psychoanlytic theory and in cultural criticism influenced by it. One origin for the concept is in Freud.s theory of castration anxiety which holds that sexual difference is inaugurated by the girl.s realisation that she lacks a penis and the boy.s fear that his own penis might be taken from him, rendering him symbolically "a woman" (See castration complex). Desiring intimacy with the mother, but made to feel guilt for these desires by the law of Oedipus, the boy aligns himself with the law of the phallus which becomes neurotically affirmed as transcendental sign of all that is powerful, virile, valuable - the more so as this over-valuation points to the repression of the fear that it is a mere bag of skin.
Evident in this theory, therefore, is
971 words
Citation: Clark, Robert. "Lack". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1600, accessed 23 November 2024.]
