ents who refuse to accept his theories. Freud’s failure to completely understand his female patients, however, indicates that he has begun to question patriarchal assumptions by realizing that fulfillment of stereotypically female roles leaves women unfulfilled. Unfortunately, he has not acted upon this realization because he consciously sees women through the clouded lens of Victorian bias. Because Freud fails to bring his unconscious desire to reject gender roles to the conscious surface, he never completely frees himself from the sexist influences of Victorian society and therefore relinquishes the ability to fully cure his female patients. The gender roles that prevailed in Victorian society were reflections of science and nationality. The nuclear unit was a microcosm of “factual” thoughts at that time. Darwin’s theory of evolution and superiority of the species, not only led to European Imperialism and subordination of “inferior” races but male subordination of the “inferior” sex. Whereas the Victorian man was dominant, strong, rational and intellectually superior, the Victorian woman was characterized as submissive, weak, indecisive and emotionally expressive. Like Darwin’s belief that each species\' particular qualities provide it with a unique niche to fulfill, men and women, because of their contrasting characteristics, encompass distinct and separate functions. A man’s strength and intellect allow him to provide for his family. Conversely, a woman’s sphere of influence belonged in the household where her nurturing character appropriates her to raise children while being protected by the harsh elements of the outside world. A man’s reserved nature would result in destructive child rearing and a feeble woman could not survive in the ruthless competition of the job force. Because Darwin’s theory of evolution was scientifically confirmed as “fact,” the encompassed gender roles were therefore unquestionable. Freud’s “unquestionable” role in society is fulfilled by psychoanalysis because his masculine intellect allows him to cure and consequently protect his emotional female patients. But surprisingly, the concept of the fulfilled woman, as prescribed by Darwinian theory, does not assist Freud in curing his patients. His patients’ psychosomatic problems fulfill some unknown, unconscious desire that incredulously disrupts her ability to perform female duties. As a man, it was bewildering to Freud why his women patients had illnesses that forced them to refuse their gender roles. Interestingly, Freud made more progress with his female patients when he delineated from his ideas of women and tried to identify with them as analogues. Misunderstanding was replaced by assimilation, which led to progress. To Freud’s surprise, the characteristics that he had in common with his female patients were those of stubbornness, arrogance, and insight—qualities that are characteristically male. Freud’s desire to cure his patients reflects that his preconceived notions of women are bereft of an ability to predict their actions. By asking, “What does a woman want?” (Felman, 73), Freud indicates that merely adopting societal assumptions about women’s goals may be insufficient. Women are baffling to Freud because, unlike men, there is a large disparity between women’s desires and the roles forced upon them by society. Shoshana Felman supports this claim by investigating the dream of Irma’s injection, in which Irma is examined by men: “The riddle of the woman--Irma’s body, or Irma’s riddle--is thus submitted to an exclusively male examination… Here again the question of femininity becomes a question of male knowledge… The riddle, it would seem ‘does not apply’ to Irma because she is herself the riddle” (82). The all male examination denotes that men, not women, determine how women should behave and appear, implying that Freud is unconsciously comprehending the patriarchal natu

Some topics in this essay:
Shoshana Felman, Sexist Anonymous, Whereas Victorian, Freud Victorian, Lectures Freud, Wilhelm Fliess, Freud Dora, Theory Freud, Interestingly Freud, Injection” Felman, gender roles, female patients, dream irma’s, dream irma’s injection, patient freud, irma’s injection, victorian society, reject gender, female patient, shoshana felman, aspect dream, reject gender roles, freud’s frame narrative, gender roles conscious, darwin’s theory evolution,