| Theme | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | | Son’s unconscious desire for mother, rivalry with father. | Sons and Lovers , The Manchurian Candidate | | The Devouring Mother | Mother who sabotages son’s independence/relationships. | Psycho , Mommie Dearest | | The Absent Mother | Death or emotional distance forces son to self-mother. | Billy Elliot , Catcher in the Rye | | The Guilty Son | Son fails to protect or please mother. | The Road (McCarthy) | | The Mother as Monster | Biological or moral horror. | Carrie (Margaret White), The Babadook |
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