Oblomov, a Jungian Approach: A Literary Image of the Mother Complex

by Nathalie Baratoff

Ivan Goncharov's novel Oblomov has long attracted psychological interpretation. It presents a classical example of a man suffering from a severe mother complex. C.G. Jung's discovery of the deeper layers of the unconscious, with their inherent creative and healing impulses, opens the way for a broader and deeper view of this problem than has hitherto been provided by more rational and causal approaches. The question of finality, in the sense of purpose, has always been of particular importance in Jungian interpretation. It forces us to ask whether there was a reason why Oblomov had to be. What implications does his creation and his recognition as a type carry? What does the novel disclose - historically and culturally - XIXth century Russia, or, in a more general sense - psychologically - what basic human response to what basic human situation does it reveal?

148 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1990