Freud, the Feminist

            Niya here: In “Freud, the Feminist?” an article by Suzanne Brom she argues a highly unusual argument that Freud was in fact in admiration of his female clients. In varying situations, Brom continues to argue that Freud was working within the social constraints of this time to put forth the more endearing view of his patients.  While her argument at times seemed scattered, Brom specifically mentions cases in which she believes Freud was praising some women that shunned. Her argument, however, was troubling to believe. She openly states that Freud claimed that for women, the act of loving was more dangerous than any other act. However, within these arguments Freud puts forth identical explanation for a variety of issues.

 For Fau Emmy von N, her love family members kept her from living a life of her own. She spent years alternating care between needy family members neglecting the realities of her own body. Governess, Miss Lucy suffered a similar fate forsaking her own mental health to care for the children of her employer. The time spent with the family, would later manifest into a love for the children’s father, which Freud cited as the catalyst for Miss Lucy’s hysteria. For Fraulein Elisabeth, the condition of her dying father forced her to deny a relationship with “the only man who seemed to understand and appreciate her”.

Just because Freud was willing to converse with, write about, and essentially exploit a multitude of women does not make a strong argument that he was a feminist.  While it is quite kind the Freud would go beyond the normal view on women, more specifically ‘hysterical’ women does not mean he was not doing this work for altruistic reasons. His reverence for these women does not denote a strong alliance with their struggles. Brom cites Freud has noted that that the pressure for females to conform to societal norms is unfortunate, that to me does not negate the extensive work in which he only furthered sexist patriarchal ideas of the time.