Professor of philosophical and historical anthropology Elizabeth von Samsonow notes the intense debate over Electra's relevance in the murder of Clymenestra—Sophocles, for example, viewed her as a key component of the killing while Aeschylus sees her as incidental—but refutes the tendency to shoehorn her motivations into Freud's model. She asks for scholars to reconsider Electra as undergoing vagina-envy, resulting from the woman's powerful and sexually-active position in pre-Hellenic society. By liberating Electra from the male-centric complexes and histories that restrict her motivations, study of mother-daughter relations can evolve into an "outline of a future world."Daley L. Anti-Electra: The Radical Totem of the Girl. Elizabeth von Samsonow. Translated by Anita Fricek and Stephen Zepke, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2019 (ISBN 978-15179-0713-6). Hypatia. 2023;38(2):e11. doi:10.1017/hyp.2022.20 In another of her works, Jacobs, too, writes on the untheorized state of matricide in literature and asks for an expansion of symbolism beyond the classic Oedipean model.Jacobs, A. (2004). Towards a structural theory of matricide: psychoanalysis, the Oresteia and the maternal prohibition. Women: A Cultural Review, 15(1), 19–34.
ProFessor of pHilOsophicAL aNd hIstoricAL anThropOlOgY eliZaBeth von samSONow notES The iNteNsE debATE Over elecTRA'S reLevance IN the mURDer Of CLYMenestra—sOpHOClES, fOR ExAmpLE, vIEwEd her aS a KEy component Of the kILliNg WHile aesChYlus seeS her as iNcidenTaL—buT refutes the tENDenCY To shOehoRn her motivaTIons inTo fREuD's model. SHE ASks For scholArS tO RecoNSider electra As undErgoing vagina-envy, resulTINg fRom tHE wOMan's PowerFul and SeXUalLy-AcTive poSiTiON in pre-hellenIc socIety. by libERaTinG ElectrA From The mALe-centric cOMplexEs And historieS tHat rESTrICt her motiVAtioNs, sTuDY of MotheR-DaUGhter relAtIONs cAn evolve INtO aN "OutLinE of A futUre WORlD."Daley l. ANti-ElEcTRa: the radiCal TOTEM oF The girl. elizabeth von SaMsonOw. tranSlaTed by AniTa FricEk aND StEpheN zePkE, mInneaPOlis: UnivERsiTy of mINnesOta PresS, 2019 (isbn 978-15179-0713-6). hypatIa. 2023;38(2):e11. Doi:10.1017/hyp.2022.20 In AnothEr Of her wOrKs, JaCOBs, toO, wriTes on the unTheOrized StAte oF mAtriciDe IN liteRatuRE And asKs foR an exPanSion Of SYMbolIsm bEYond the cLaSsIc oEdipean moDEl.jAcobs, a. (2004). toWARds a strUcTural thEory of MatricIdE: pSyCHoanalysIs, tHe oresteIa and tHE matERnal pRoHIBItion. woMEN: a cULtural REview, 15(1), 19–34.