Part I, Childhood and the Modalities of Social Life, Chapter 2, The Theory of Infantile Sexuality Summary and Analysis

First, Erikson will review Freud's theory of childhood sexuality, which sees the infantile organism as containing powerful sexual and aggressive energy. Erikson demonstrates the theory through two children deadlocked in a fight with their bowels.

Ann, four years old, has a pale and sullen face with blank eyes; she sucks her thumb. Her problem is that she is becoming too babyish in one way and too serious in another. She also holds onto her bowel movements and then releases them in her bed at night or just before early morning so her mother cannot catch her. Berating her only caused her to withdraw more. When left alone with her, she implicitly communicates to...