Symbolic Wounds: Puberty Rites and the Envious MaleBettelheim presents an account of his examination of initiation rites in present-day pre-literate societies and suggests that circumcision and related rituals may be the expression of male fascination with, and jealousy of, female sex apparatus and function. Broadly evaluating prevailing notions regarding puberty rites, Bettelheim describes ceremonies among different tribes--such as ritual subincision among the Arunta, transvestism among the African Changa, and many other customs--and also relates many myths that accompany the rituals. |
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adolescent adult ambivalence anthropological anthropologists Arunta Australian aboriginal behavior believe Berndt birth bleeding boys castration anxiety castration complex cere child childbirth circum circumcision cision clitoris couvade culture cumcision custom desire envy example experience explain fact father fear feel female sex functions feminine fertility fire foreskin Freud genitals girls glans goddess human Ibid important imposed incest taboo incision initiation ceremonies initiation rites instinctual interpretation Jewish Julunggul Kunapipi labia minora less magic male masculine means men's menstrual blood menstruation modern mother motives mutilation myth mythical novices Nunberg observations operation origin parallel parents penis penis envy person phallic Poro preliterate societies primitive procreation psycho psychoanalytic theory psychological puberty rites rebirth relation result ritual role schizophrenic secret seems sex organs sexual maturity snake social speculations Spencer and Gillen subincision suggests superego symbolic taboo tion totemic Transvestism tribal tribes urinate vagina Wawilak wish woman women young Yurlunggur