Question How could we interpret the relationships Pierre has toward his (dead) father and his mother in this novel from a Freudian perspective? Why would Bataille want to explore this complex? Response Bataille’s last novel, "My Mother," seems to have been written as a case study for the Oedipus complex. A Freudian reading of this novel is appropriate, as one has to remember that Bataille himself was familiar with the theories of Freud and also underwent psychoanalysis with the help of Adrien Borel, a famous French psychiatrist of the time. Pierre, the protagonist of the novel, suffers from a classic form of an Oedipus complex, as he hates his father and wishes him dead, while being attracted to his mother. The death of the father unveils the mother’s true nature and the son is then free to fulfill his desire to possess his mother. Pierre’s father is an alcoholic. His relationship to his son is very strained. His father remains a mystery to him until the very end. At first, he is absolutely terrified of him and considers him to be the villain. To Pierre’s eyes, he is always at fault, especially towards his mother. The father has failed the son in establishing a positive role model. He cannot help him grasp his own male identity. Therefore, Pierre feels that he must establish his own personality as his father’s polar opposite: “je le détestais si pleinement qu’en toutes choses, je pris le contre pied de ses jugements." Hence his interest in religion and his fear of alcohol. When his father goes out of town, he feels as though he must fill up the vacant position and establishes himself as his mother’s companion. When his mother tells him that people could perceive them as a couple: “Mais tu es si bel homme qu'il te prend pour mon amant," Pierre is shocked because she seems to be able to unveil his innermost thoughts. The death of his father represents the fulfilment of Pierre’s ultimate oedipal fantasies. He fee