CEU eTD Collection MOTHER AND HER CRISIS INCONTEMPORARY WOMEN T HE TRADITIONAL IMAGE OF THE In partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Arts in Gender Studies. in Gender of Arts ofMaster degree forthe In partialfulfillment Second Reader: Prof. Deborah Rosenfelt Supervisor: DrSophia Howlett Department ofGenderStudies Central European University Central Salome Tsopurashvili Budapest, Hungary Submitted to FICTION 2008 By G EORGIAN PHALLIC ’ S CEU eTD Collection for providing mewith necessary materials help and ultimate for this thesis. expressI would like special to Jgerenaia, Emzar Tatia andgratefulness to Miranu Shavgulidze Manuel year.whole academic expendmy thankfulness myto Tamarasister andall my friends in forCEU their during support the I wouldlike tothank myfor to her supervisor Sophie Howlett help Iwould andencouragement. like to Acknowledgements ii CEU eTD Collection point. in mother – daughter relationships which were silenced inGeorgian literature upto this conflict internal the and functions assumed traditionally her lost has who mother phallic women writers. In narrative and atlast, Iwill mydiscuss eseveral short stories ofcontemporary Georgian analysis of theseaccording to it I will examine the representations ofthe Phallic motherin the traditional stories I will reveal the crisis of thepower of the Phallic Mother. ancient the under subsists and Imaginary dyadic in remains unconsciousness Georgian the terms, psychoanalytic in it discuss we if is that argument my Consequently father. of image leaded bytheimage mother ofpowerful onthelevel of representations, andlacks the Abstract In my thesis, first I will expose the basics of the psychoanalytical theory, then theory, psychoanalytical the of basics the expose I will first thesis, my In is such as unconsciousness Georgian the that illustrate try will I thesis my In iii CEU eTD Collection eeecs...... 46 ...... References 44 Conclusion...... hpe he:Cneprr tre...... 28 Chapter Three: Contemporary stories...... Chapter Two: Traditional 14 Representation ...... of women in Georgia Chapter One: A Brief 5 Overview of the Psychoanalytical ...... Theory 1 ...... Introduction Table ofContents Klnaz...... 34 Kalandadze...... 3.3. 3.2. Father as the Other (?): Analysis of Other Father3.2. (?): asthe 3.1.Crisis of the Mother of Georgia/Phallic Mother: Analysis 28 of Spasms, by Naira Gelashvili... 22 2.2 Mother ...... of Georgia 2.1 14 The Traditional Phallic Mother...... How theGermanto forget Language Everything about someoneelse’s about father Everything b ad aadde...... 39 ...... by Magda Kalandadze iv by Magda CEU eTD Collection 1 visitors. and friends towards hospitality its emphasizes hand, other the on and battle, without it conquer to is impossible it thus sword, a with enemies its meets always Georgia the that message a bowl in Thisfigureof another. inwine metaphorically discourseinto istranslated traditional the which is the symbol of the capital, pictures a huge figure of a woman, holding a sword in one hand and Georgia, of Mother the titled statue the example For representations. visual in the also remains mother powerful traditional of the image the mythos, from the Apart male. the is moon, always the whereas mythos, in as Georgian a mother is the represented sun, of the planet example the mothers. For of representation fictional traditional the and symbols mythological some examining by mother powerful as Iwill problems in later. my reveal thesis certain it already poses narratives in thecontemporary but one, andperfect asanidealized represented broken relationship isnot up; hence thein child her realm. This remains istraditionally connection offspring’s the whom with mother, phallic real is a it perspective psychoanalytical the From literature. symbolic representation of very powerful and dominating images of the mother in mythology and itscase something but in israre or exceptionality societies, in expressed patriarchal frequent the Introduction or preach what kind of person a real mother must be andhow shemust raise a really worthy son for the women, forcontemporary examples fixing them as heroes, mothers of appreciate either and character have a which didactic many poems, are also her There of children. lives the of over mother the of Georgia. Mother of the phenomenon the analysisof tothe dedicated mother, phallic the as terms, inpsychoanalytical explanation and signification its upon more focus will I thesis Giorgi Maisuradze, Giorgi In my Iwill thesis argumentsupport the about frequent the presence of dominatingthe and the of anexclusive not, mother. This course, is is by the of characterized cult The Georgian culture In traditional Georgian literature, there are numerous stories, which show the impactand the whichshow stories, arenumerous power there literature, In traditional Georgian Mother of Georgia or the Complex of the Mother 1 , in Aphra , October-November1997 p. 179 1 In my CEU eTD Collection Georgian literature of the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth centuries (from centuries twentieth the of and beginning the century late nineteenth of the literature Georgian because in the relationships, andmother daughter mother-son between toshowthe difference periods children, but just point at her wickedness. Unfortunatelyquestion her mother, herpower over not not anddo challenge the storiesthese do powerof the I can not contrast stories from these different andsecond, influential; not were hence they narrative, grand inscribed inthe not andwere discourse traditional the of part not are stories these first, reasons: several for it, into go not will I but mother, where I take a narrative, there are also several works, which represent a“negative” image of the phallic and decreased castrated. ofmothers are characters the narratives contemporary in features, has the phallic said,is and powerful asIhavealready mother, of figurewherethe the narratives traditional the unlike Moreover, case. in this arise may which conflicts internal the reveal on contrary motherthe thecontemporary narratives, andchildbetween isidealizedandappreciated, dyadic relationship the above, mentioned asIhavealready narratives, traditional the early 90s. In were revived influential andextremely in the national-liberatingmovementduring the endof 80s and values modern national because werecreated,which whenand Georgian discourse isthe time this discussions,issues which were silenced and taboo until this point. Iam focusing on for this concreteissues periodnew bring and representation traditional the works in their challenge and vision different were adopted as ideals,with the short stories contemporaryof Georgian women writers, who propose a and discourse in national the inscribed strongly were which images mother, of the and relationship mother-son exactly the concerning century, nineteenth late the of datedfrom end the work, literature notexist.does is fathers, and of focuses teaching theenlightenment literaturewhich Whereas suchon kindof nation. I would like to note here that in the literature of the nineteenth century, thus of hereinlike of note nineteenth from I wouldthe literature period thatthe of the century, thus to of pieces several other, each with contrast and analyze is to thesis, my in do will I What 2 CEU eTD Collection the field andthe literature, model whichishighly asaperfect of appreciated the levelof perceived the on the twentieth century, and also creator of the model of an ideal mother and mother-son relationship in mentioned wasrevivedintheendof which,asI of is modern national above, the thecreator discourse, he because work of pieces his exactly my analysis for chose I Chavchavadze. Ilia well, as movements of the most important figurefollowing factors: in the case of the traditionalof literature, thethe reason is that the data belongs totime the work in the realmby determined were research particular this pieces for theliterature of choice The authors. different of the literature and of traditional thepoem and astory,stories and three short written during years the lastten whichbelongto political and social connection and addressitas a problem. thisstrong challenge writers women several contemporary whereaspieces of unquestionable, attachment strong traditional the narrative, motherbetween grand and it childis is appreciated, inis the silencedup conflict Although this mother again. butagainst the father, againstnot the that the Oedipal drama takes place, more concretely inis a pre-Oedipal drama, as the conflict evaluates I argue but extent, some at statement tothis I agree father. the of absence symbolical the on argument basing this andthey are in consciousness, Georgian the scenario of Oedipal the realization the of impossibility the about argue who approach have usedthis those Furthermore, literature. Georgian the Georgian phenomena academic of powerful the mother, and, dominating is second,used this approach not very in often fieldinvestigate the itseemed to first, reasons; for two tool Ichosethis particular Kristeva’s theories. and especially JaquesLacan’s andJulia from Freudto its beginnings of Sigmund abrief make Iwill chapter overview very rarely when it comesphysically not exist.does up to the analysiswhere I choseof the my pieces) a work, which focuses on or discusses mother –daughter relationship I will my conduct thebasis long-establishedanalysis on of includingseveral writings, a theoretical the In analysis. my for theory psychoanalytical use to chosen have I tool a As 3 CEU eTD Collection Dodona Kiziria Otaraankt Kiziria Dodona Guram Sharadze 2 aswell. self destruction the to leads always in stories the illustrate asIwill rebellion this because mother, the towards rebellion unsuccessful their children, the of anxiety the function, traditional her fulfill to able longer no is who mother, crisisof the After showthe conducting the Iwill analysis shown up. relationshipfirst addressedand is and conflict lesbian internal aremother-daughter’s values thechallenge traditional of mother, the image traditional the of degradation the whichspeakabout firstworks the are writings because asthese Naira Gelashvilicontemporary and piecestheterms gaveits in definition his writings andideology hecreated. that other of literature, two to social in discourse. Magda He isthis also the first who introduced the notioncase of the Mother of Georgia,Kalandadze. and inI some chose the three stories, I chose from exactlywhich one belongs these to particular pieces Akaki Bakradze Ilia Chavchavadze Ilia, Nakaduli, Tbilisi 1987 Kvrivi as the moral ideal of aGeorgian woman, Tbilisi 1990 4 Literary Georgia, 27 November,1992 p. 11 2 What concerns to the CEU eTD Collection 3 must ofhismother boy’s begivencomplex, There aretwo alternative the object-cathexis up.” of the father,the thus ofincest. Freud“along According prohibition demolition of with the Oedipus the likecastrated pre-Oedipalthe a So by girl.phase ends and discovering sexual organs intervention the become desireand will sexual activity and incestuous for his castrated, he hence willthat bepunished, beginning, andis“the ontheanalytic prototype of an model“ object-choice from breastmother’sthe with is for the hismother,which connected instinctual inobject) an her.desire During this period towards the infantdevelops an investmentobject/cathexislibidoof (the image of mother,phallic when yetdiscovereda childhasnot her‘castration’ and anincestuous feels by the is Thepreoedipal phase characterised pre-oedipal,anddevelopment: post-oedipal. oedipal that of Julia Kristeva, I will start from its very beginnings, with Freud, in order to give it aclear image. use conductgoing to myanalysis. to mostlyAlthough use Lacanian I am to going psychoanalysisand A Chapter One: Brief Overview ofthePsychoanalytical Theory which is of body asapart genitalia girl’s he perceives asfar and organs, sexual between the difference the is time when boy discovers a little This alsothe of love mother. for the gaining rival father asthe desire that he feels for his mother does not come more and more powerful and consequently he sees his father place. takes the identification case of with a boy, the Sigmund Freud, Sigmund According to Freudian psychoanalytical theory, there are three phases in phases arethree child’s Freudian the psychoanalytical theory, there According to According to Freud, these two processes are developing side by side until the boy’s sexual boy’s by side the side until processes are developing Freud, these two According to In this section I will give a brief overview of the psychoanalytical theory, a tool which I am missingsomething The Ego and the ID , thus it is castrated, he begins to be obsessed with the fear of castration: of fear the with be obsessed to begins he castrated, is it thus , in The Freud reader, The Freud edited by PeterGay New Norton,York, 1989 p. 641 5 3 . At the same time, in the CEU eTD Collection girls itis made possible and led up by castrationthe complex.”. in by complex, is castration [and]the theOedipuscomplex destroyed whereasinboys occurrence... its of possibility fears the boy whereasthe fact, anaccomplished as the castration “the girl accepts that complex develops in her as well. After Freud the main difference between little boys’ and girls’ cases is 9 8 7 6 5 jealousy”her“an objectof homosexual feelings a little girl switches on the heterosexual desire. Now the figure of mother becomes towards the her desires orients and penis) possess the not does herself she herthat blames (asshe a hate into turns father, from themother for likehomosexual desire her givehera penis,her aswell. shecannot Since castrated whom she hopes to receive a penis, substituted by a baby. Hence from knows that she is without it and wants to have it” have to wants and it without is she that knows her sex,butas individual misfortune and a develops penis envy.As Freudputsit “she has seen itand of asacharacteristic beingcastrated of state this recognise not she does first, At castrated. as herself difference between little she sexual organs, privileges boy’s penis herover clitoris, andperceives alsothe like shereveals When boy. justa small hermother, for feelsdesire incestual she stage also iswhat called inentering post-oedipal-phase. the emerges SuperEgo,whichideal, is theego identification this From woman. another to mother from feelings his switches he place, takes father 4 father“. his with identification his of intensification “an or mother, his with identification is the first the result: may which scenarios Sigmund Freud, Sigmund Ibid. p.676 Ibid. p.676 Sigmund Freud Sigmund Ibid. p.643 Sigmund Freud, Sigmund However, in the case of a girl, the story goes in a little bit different way: in the pre- oedipal Some Psychical Consequences Some Psychical Consequences Ego and the ID 7 p.640 , the little girl has turned into a little woman little a into turned has girl little the , 4 In the case of this first version, thus when the identification with the with identification the when thus version, first this of case the In in p.676 The Freud Reader heir of the Oedipuscomplex heir of 6 6 . Subsequently, she discovers that the mother is mother the that discovers she Subsequently, . . p.674 9 , as Freud names it. 8 ”. Accordingly the Oedipus 5 That is CEU eTD Collection 14 developmental processes in girls is unsatisfactory, incomplete and vague” (in vague” and incomplete unsatisfactory, is girls in processes developmental 13 12 11 10 qualities ”. the ego, where they form into inits libidinal are incorporated partsublimated: and areabandoned,desexualized cathexes objects the nucleus of the super-egopiecesits just to iscomplex of but“literally castration, by not smashed threatened repressed shock the and give that new structure its characteristic even in theunconsciousness can not yet distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘Other’. The perception of the body is fragmented; the child the fragmented; is body the of perception The ‘Other’. and ‘I’ between distinguish yet not can it hence her, with united as itself perceives and body maternal and its between border the differentiate not can it yet, defined self the of centre the have not does infant the stage Imaginary the In terms. Freudian the to correspond consequently which stages, andSymbolic Mirror the Imaginary, introduces metonymic way and they need to be interpreted unless to reveal their real meaning and signification. to desires by consciousness the where dreams, areoften unconscious inexpressed ametaphoric and himself it notes be female saidversion thatthe lessismore convincingandof confusing and aswell complex as Freud itbe in require to men”. Their super-ego life... mental normal women’s into far persist may is effects its or never repression, by with dealt or abandoned so inexorable,“slowly either be may It so castration. of impact the impersonal,by hence “lack”, the by destroyed is complex so independent of its emotional origins as we a split subject, torn precariously between conscious andunconscious”. between precariously torn conscious a splitsubject, Terry Eagleton, In The Dissolution of the Oedipus Complex he says: “It must be admitted however, that in general our insight Ibid.into p.677 these Ibid. p.677 Ibid. p.677 There is a difference between the super egos of both sexes. If in the case of a boy Oedipus a boy the of inthecase sexes. If ofboth egos super the between is adifference There Jaquesinstead Lacan,whilerewriting of pre-oedipal, Freud, oedipal and post oedipal stages, That is how the Oedipal story goes according to Freudian scenarioin both sexes, butit should 10 In the ideal scenario of dissolution of the conflict, the Oedipus complex does not exist 13 Literary theory: An Introductio . In both cases however, “the human subject who emerges from the oedipal process is from process oedipal the whoemerges subject “the human cases however, both . In 12 11 , and the super-ego becomes its inheritor. In the case of girls, the Oedipus n Oxford,n Blackwell1994 p. 157 7 The Freud Reader 14 The unconsciousness reaches p. 665) CEU eTD Collection Selection succession of phantasies that extends from a orthopaedic-and lastly to the assumption of the armour of armour the of assumption the to lastly orthopaedic-and a from extends that phantasies of succession caught for manufactures up in anticipation-and which subject, the lurethe special identification, the of to insufficiency from is precipitated thrust internal whose isa drama stage mirror ”The himself: infant in the mirror and stains a person’s further relationship in the regards with it. As Lacan puts it 16 15 andsoon”. image moves, with its own properties.mirror, Finally, or seize hold there of the supportingis initial stage of confusing theimage with reality, andmay grasp holdto try the of imagethe behind the realisation adult. Then comes thatthe itself with discoverywhich samethe timeat identifies it andnot. itself Itappears does “go seeing to through an the image of the existenceis its own-when of thereflection ofmirror in the can see child place.The take self the of formation the and andifferentiation image it moves, its perceives its body as a whole, together with maternal body. In the Mirror stage, the process of phase when the formation of the of formation the when phase dependence, would seem of imagehis specular by still infants childatthe the stage, sunk inhis incapacity motor and nursling to exhibitassumption jubilant This imago. term in ancient the of theory, anin analytic use, the by exemplaryindicated sufficiently situation isthe this phase-effect to predestination image-whose an heassumes when subject place inthe takes that symbolic matrix in whichstage asthe an identification, mirror the understand “We to have As Lacan argues: ideal self. the neverbut accessible, sametime, the in the full sense that analysis gives to the term, namely the transformation and before language restores it,its in to function subject” languageandbefore as universal, restores the other, the with identification of dialectic in the objectified is it before form, in aprimordial precipitated toits insight of reality. imagesame time this contradicts body butat the maternal the from itlearns itisdetached from where reflection, mirror in identity the Jaques Lacan, Jaques Madan Sarup, Madan Thus the mirror Thus image mirror the becomes from something which is separated and mother isthe , New York, Norton 1989 p.2 The mirror stage as formative of thefunction of theI as revealed inPsychoanalytic experience Jaques Lacan Oxford, HarvesterWheatsheaf 1992 p.82 15 This is child’sthe first discovery itself of as andsomething separate united estranged self assuch 8 takes place. It derives from the reflection of the 16 . The mirror stage is a ,in whole Ecrits, A I , at is CEU eTD Collection reflection of the ego, the extension of the 19 18 a common experience and “one that is essential for the human-to-be to become human.” is Other mother asthe the of This acknowledgment itself. from object ismother aseparate the fact that the of conscious becomes and illusive is mother the with ones or wholeness its that learns it connection designates itsconnectionimage momentthe from with and establishesa mirror when a child in the this from too.” Other the received is inisit desirebut for Lacan wehave: neverour somewayalways which can reality alsotrue that in Other, the some shapeof ultimately gratifying towards the unconsciousis directed desireLacan our which broughtus into being in assubjects place first the butwhich always grasp… forour outurns symbolic order, “as that which the parents, language, the unconsciousness, the the Eagleton’s interpretation, unites according to like language is always anterior to us and will always escape us, that 17 development”. mental entire subject’s the structure rigid its with mark will which identity, alienating an have which corresponds to the phallus-what he has being worth no more than what he does not have as have not does he what than more no worth being has he phallus-what the to corresponds which have from beingmight sinceitother, Otherthe withstops the subject presenting anything realit satisfied to satisfy desire.this Thus the immanentdivision to desire already makesitself feltin desirethe of the emerges from the lack: “If the desire of the mother is phallus, the child wishes beto the phallus so asto presupposes the fact that mother is castrated, she does not possess the phallus, as long as the desireobviously only that signifier, a transcendental but organ, sexual Freudian longer no is Lacan with which is phallus, the is by (m)Other, What desired full love-object. become her andto herfulfil wish Madan Sarup, Madan Terry Eagleton, Jaques Lacan, Jaques In order to summarise the argument so far, it could be said in short that the mirror phasefar, themirror that itsummarise inshort couldIn toargumentso besaid order the The creation of the other and the Other also occurs in this stage. The other, According to Lacan, a child wants to discover what is the desire of the (m)Other, in order to Jaques Lacan The mirror stage as formative of thefunction of theI as revealed inPsychoanalytic experience 17 Literary theory: An Introductio . , p.140 18 n, p.174 I that infant sees in the mirror, whereas the Other is what, whereas Other the in mirror, infantsees the that 9 objet petita, 19 , p.4 is a CEU eTD Collection 24 23 22 21 who identifies with her mother, has to desire what she desires-the phallus. As Madan Sarup remarks “ remarks AsSarup Madan phallus. she desires-the desire has what mother, to her with identifies who phallus as the “prime signifier” the woman has to take “the place of “the absence” lack or placeof hastotake woman the signifier” phallus asthe “prime meaningswhat in up language,are permitted takes spacethe empty leftby loss the of mother” the of father” law of “name the the The of of desire. the from object the child the of crucially, asevering symbolically represent anintrusion by intoculture fused,the bodily world of motherthe and child and, cultural through is that substitutions, language primarily systems and orrepresentation.other These father of Oedipal crisis andthe place the the hechildexperiences father, in of absence actual an the Symbolic order, which is the entry into the language and the society as well. According to Lacan “even the threat of castration and the taboo on incest. By repressing the incestual is desire, thewhich child entersFather, in the the of Law the imposes which mother-child of dyadic in the Father, the of intervention Other, which from beginningthe is always motherfor infant,the is repressed again with the meansit that acquires the understanding of As gender. Rosalind Minsky it, “Theputs desirefor the “sexed” being,which placeas its a Symbolic, whereit occupies already andof towards Imaginary intointroduced this sequence by father whichwill the its futureur” decide is law the ofcourse It lack-in-having. of of mark;is nostalgia the thethreat and its phallicsignifierthe in as so far desire, is between signed isthe It effect. conjunction herethat take can complex castration which thereferringmomentof structural nosymptomaticexperienceconsequence to or ... without childhave does not but thephallus, that the thediscovery mother notpossess does iteither: “this isthe this “test of desire” 20 far ashisloveis demand for heconcerned, which that requires Madan Sarup, Madan Rosalind Minsky, Ibid. p.290 Ibid. p.289 Jaques Lacan, Jaques Due to the fact that after Lacanian theory the signifying systems are putted in order around the around in order areputted systems signifying Lacanian theory the after fact that Due tothe ahead moves child the and Father the of Law the by up broken is dyad mother-child the Hence Jaques Lacan The Signification of the phallus Lacan : the meaning of the phallu, 21 the crucial factor, according to the clinical experiences is not the fact that the factthat the isnot clinical experiences to the according factor, crucial the , p.140 , in Ecrtis, aSelection . In Psychoanalysis andGender 10 p.289 be the phallus”. London,, Routlege,1996 22 . 20 As Lacan notes, in 24 . Hence the girl, the . Hence 23 . CEU eTD Collection envelops “the both: symbolic orderof rational language and themarginal,feminine repressed interrelation,designate this to Kristeva develops a term which thesignificance, Therefore process. no-sense, laughter” no-sense, inin adultsgesticulations, an game, semioticthe in“rhythm, isputted the word appearance prosody, dominion of unconsciousness:the is in it babies their makesounds cry, they that and their (m)other.” the of experience the from indissociable is self-eroticism of sort a where and body, maternal linkvis-à-vishave maternal body-of memories thatall us with dependence the our the of the of modality Ihavethat asinfantile referred to babblings… is a modality which bears mostthe archaic linguistic sings and thus meaning isnothere strict inthe sense of term…the thisarchaic semiotic necessary the possess yet not does child the thisstate In surroundings. her/his imitate to trying stresses, or rhythms, alliterations, where s/he articulates or hears, s/he babbles the sounds child where the herselfinterviews,her inoneof semiotic the the “takesusback pre-linguistic to of states childhood language, and which represents a sort of residue of asort of pre-Oedipallanguage,the phase” whichrepresents of residue and the symbolic order the “semiotic”, which means “apattern of play forcesof which we can detect inside Imaginary and Symbolic Kristeva uses the terms of semiotic and symbolic. In her theory she opposes to 26 25 “frees us from the tyranny of the biological” is wayitthe Symbolicthe usedConsequently system, Kristeva,Lacanian especially by is organized”. this desire has nothing to do with anything essential or biological but everything to do with the way that 29 28 27 a problem” feministposes “forremarks any …clearly Eagleton Terry Eagleton, Ibid. p. 140 Madan Sarup, Madan Julia Kristeva, Ibid. p.188 The feminist philosopher Julia Kristeva, was strongly influenced by Lacanian theory which, as 28 Hence the semiotic is related to the pre-Oedipality. The realm of the semiotic is nearis the semiotic of the The realm pre-Oedipality. the to is related semiotic Hencethe Jaques A Question of Subjectivity-an interview Women’s Review p Literary Theory: anintorduction 29 Lacan, . The communication between the semiotic and the symbolic forms the signifying the forms symbolic the and semiotic the between communication . The p.141 p.187 25 . 11 . 20-21 26 . Instead of Lacanian notions of 27 . As J. Kirsteva claims CEU eTD Collection 36 35 34 33 University Press, 1997 p.35 interruption, pausesand absences in As Sarupargues,“the discourse. the is chora a rhythmic pulsion words, purposeless theuse includes language”, of contradictive, pressure on which symbolic accomplished with fully achieved” more or less success.phase Bywith that its threattime ofit castration can be only “as theobserved moment in whichonly theas process“ pulsional of separation or splitting is where “ the constitution of all objects ... will be detached from from will chora,” ... semiotic be the of detached where “theconstitution all objects oflanguage” to acquisition prior the is “from which of language”, organization therefore, of the drives the“unconsciousbasis outcomes the 32 31 30 “ in feminine character predominantly by language anddraws onrepressedsignifiers, of side are patriarchy, semiotic the which, under is “rational governed the AsSarupnotes, depends discourse category discourse. on the of preponderate which semiotic but, of inone the will signifying process, symbolic are engaged all them and thought, and realm of which tothe obviously belongs Both hence semiotic. the aspects of significance, so on” and art irrationality, poetry, of discourses and energy discharges that “connect and orient the body to the mother.” body to the the andorient “connect that discharges and energy that is as full of movement as it is regulated”the realm of the mother, or“ nonexpressivea totality formed by the drives and their stases inmotility a is that and interdependence, closeness physical mother-child’s byherasthe istranslated which “chora” Ibid. 141 Ibid 141 Madab Sarup, Madab Ibid. Julia Kristveva Ibid. 141 Ibid, p. 141 What I would like also to note from Kristeva’s contributions it is the introduction of the term the of introduction is the it contributions Kristeva’s from note to also like would I What Jaques Lacan Revolution Poeticin Language 36 . After the entrance into the Symbolic order, the repression of the chora will be will chora the of repression the order, Symbolic the into entrance the After . , p.141 34 . Kristeva, like Lacan, conceives the mirror phase as a stage from 31 . in The portable Kirsteva The portable 32 These drives absorb pre-Oedipal occupations semiotic absorb pre-Oedipal Thesedrives 30 12 , which brings into, brings unconscious play which repressed, the , editorKelly Oliver, New York, Columbia 33 The semiotic chora, Thesemiotic 35 and the Oedipal CEU eTD Collection 38 the father the identity of the woman will be originated from the same symbolic order. the woman’s psyche, or makes the identification with the father. In the case of the identification with makes her identification with the mother, which consequently strengthens the pre-Oedipal elements of Symbolic order is the place, where the Law of the Father dominates. According her a little girl either mother, the with isthe as far connected chora that assemiotic notes Kristeva order. Symbolic the into of momententrance tothe related becomes of The question difference feminine characteristics. 37 figure” is “fantasmatic Oedipal realm the phallic mother, the of the stage where the antagonism between masculinity and femininity does not exist as such. Pre- Semiotic should not be associated with femininity,as it belongs to the pre-Oedipal, and pre-Oedipal is which language,up in can becaughtnever that closure theory”the of linguistics traditional of dimension disruptive theheterogenous, words, in other constitutes, It language. new a than rather Ibidp. 142 Sarup, Madan, Sarup, Jaques Lacan p. 141 13 38 which embodies both masculine and 37 . CEU eTD Collection reforms, whereas reign of the King Tamara is characterized by annulations of his very important achievements, but it was it but achievements, important very ofhis by annulations characterized is Tamara King ofthe reign whereas reforms, 41 40 eroticism her exclusion of thetotal requires often awoman towards respect of evidence the culture Georgian in the seem, not might it paradoxical how out points Kiziria As Dodona sexuality. of trait any of mother/women. of representation traditional the on concentrate to going am I all of First writings. women’s Georgian second,is toobserve howconflict constructed thearound figure of in motherthe contemporary Georgian is per-Oedipal in mother. unconsciousness stage, henceinthe the And realm Phallicthe of 39 monarchsGeorgian andcan be compared Davidonly the Builder. to the inhabit placethis who people, andof a place certain of power be protective the is to considered which appreciated, dominated by female images.powerful a special mythos the In figure, of is Mother Milieu, strongly also are nation, every of unconsciousness the of analysis the of material the present which literature chrisitanizedthe Virgin Mary, and women saints are mostly moreby worshipped than men. The fact, that Georgiaa was woman, excluded cultof Mother andfemale worship of There isanexaggerated special and saints absent. and Saint Nino, also images of numerous thefigure mother, powerful whereas the andfather representations of is totally plays a part in this. The mythology, Mother Phallic Traditional 2.1 The fairy talesChapter Two: Traditional Representation of women in Georgia and Davit the Builder liberated Georgia from Arabians and Turks in the eleventh century and made many very progressive very many made and century eleventh the in Turks and Arabians from Georgia liberated Builder the Davit Dodona Kiziria Dodona Encyclopedia of Mythologies The Georgian culture is characterised by an asexual representation of women, depriving them depriving women, of representation by an asexual is characterised culture The Georgian of state the that repesentations the traditional on show to first is in mythesis argue I will What On level the representation of Georgian the isvery unconsciousness by rich and dominated the 40 . The perfect example of appreciated is mostShe isoneof of example perfectKing Tamara. . The the this the Otaraant Kvrivi, the moral ideal of the Georgian woman, 39 . volume 3. volume Georgian mythology 14 , Tbilisi , Bondo Macaberidze 2004 p.7 p.12 41 Despite the fact that she the factthat Despite CEU eTD Collection 46 Georgian popular fairy tales 45 narrator tells a story of a little boy raised by his mother alone, as his father died before his birth, or his birth, before father died ashis byhis mother alone, tellsa little boy of raised astory narrator the scenarios: types of two are there Usually fairy tales. plots of mostGeorgian to characteristic order to make it clear whatmaintained into and taken consideration, although it is by accompanied a little bitI of ambiguity.In mean with this last statement, thefather of death with the I will draw a shortmotheris eitherby hero only basicplots: the raised the are two and typical example the unconsciousness of the nation. Most typically, in fairy tales the fatheram concerned,is even a singleabsent. poem which would discuss the same for fathers.Generally there need beto mentioned that these poetries are largely written by men) and there is not, at least asfar as I not it does course native (Of land. the sonfor raisea womanhonouree to areal how to long advices gives or has motherwhobirth the ahero, instance given to manypoemsand dedicated raised there are focus on the role of the mother, more precisely what kind of person a “real” mother should be. For only emphasized her privilege and authority over her husband’s, David Soslan, angel. notasa“queen” She wasreferred as a but “king”,masculinised whichof andnot her, course 44 argue its originality) but Ido not a reference, provide can not so I ornot, idea this claimed also have researchers any some whether know not 43 character. un earthy and divine her historical fiction, Giorgi Rusi, writtenby Shalva … in 19.. she is presented as a half saint and there is a lot of emphasize on 42 alive. was she while prepared was which decadence, the begun death her after But history. ofGeorgian time prosperous most the ultimately sustained herappreciation as onlyhalf human andhalf divine from “earthly” supported all of kind femininity,her asexual and genderneuterrepresentation and was a historical figure, a woman and a mother, in the dominant discourse she is referred as saint For example: For For example. For Dodona Kiziria, I think that in this context the fact that David Soslan was not Gerogian, but Ausetian, eventually also played a role. ( I do She is regarded as anofficial saint by the Georgian orthodoxchurch. Nevertheless, I think it is worthy to note that evenin I would alsolike to mention here Georgian fairy tales, another important source for analysing singlemother or a strong which aremanyrepresent literature, there pieces the Concerning to The son of the widow The king-hunter .3The smartest is the best, 4 The son of the old lady . The hunter The youngest son The King’s son The woman offields Otaraant Kvrivi, moral ideal of a Georgian woman , Tbilisi 1984 46 . Although it is remarkable that the authority of the father is protected, is father the of authority the that remarkable is it Although . 15 p. 13 Ibid. 44 . 45 , who is a widow, or the story starts story the or widow, who isa , 43 but also but deprivedher in 42 , CEU eTD Collection in splitthe of dyadicthis union and supposes acquiringthe of independence by child. the is psychoanalytical expressed theory to authority according accomplished, father’s asthe child isnot mother- of separation the that means father’s, which the to than themother realm the of to attached more is such as unconsciousness Georgian the that fact the for evidence is This side. mother’s the on is proves victory always of authorities ofmother/father inmyopinion plot, between clash the the that development in the part takes actually and alive is always mother the whereas dying or is died father inauthority his and eyes sheactually themostcleverin the that appears as tale.the person fact, The greatest the has she that indicating thus mother, his addresses always hero the mother, powerful and strong the of arepresentation offer fairy tales the isclear: least thing at one but deeper analysis, the belle, or sometimes both of them. death) that the hero overcomes the troubles and finally becomes the possessor either of the treasure, or fulfilisobliged to it. It byhimbefore advicesway, byfollowing the father’sgiven or (profession the plot usually opens with inherits of andbelle, theirfortune is part tasks.In the scenario, which secondkindof the usually the the death scene of and the senior, revenges andintheend, of thewickedking or course, everything advice heaccomplishes father; the father in this firstcase, visits hismother, tellsgiveshis herabout get advicetask, from her and following this testament to hisdifficult fulfil,tasks to which consists usually in sendinghimmeet to the death.ultimate Every hero, son, who very him give point) this isat important not is it but it, for reasons different have (they him liquidate inWho into to trouble senior,thiswith usually king, youngthe wicked order the etc. plot, hunter gets is .Itby with fairy in that are series dangerand remarkableof adventure this which risk, united tales connected is always it as masculinity, high affirms ultimately which a “job” hunter, is the he often mother is: ‘what was my his whichheaddressesto his little.question When traditional he whenup usually very he grows was father’s profession’ and after getting the answer continues his way, most It is notquite easy drawto the conclusion from these two different scenarios, as I think itneeds 16 CEU eTD Collection discussed later, evaluates this hypothesis to explain the absence of father from the representations. the from 48 father of absence the explain to hypothesis this evaluates later, discussed mother and lacks the phallic Father.of the power G. ofthe Maisuradze’s presence shows the which a way article in nation Georgian ofthe perspective psychoanalytical the from 47 itself country the pastof by historical the historical basis. Throughout constant wars, the death of men was not a surprise. It could also be caused 1.) themselves as “cubs”mentionedthe in poem,the who holding are ahugein sword theirhands. (photo inspired by poetry.this The represents sculpture a woman littlewith two boys, which symbolize reflected itson. analysis, In mentionwouldlike to I also thestatue, which andwas dedicated to as follows: betranslated poem could Berdzenishvili.The by Merab realized asculpture visual folkandGeorgian its poem,representation, andon ambivalent basisextremely the a very known relationship. popular thisargument of Idraw which asthe fatherchild, andforces/countries childthe has towards foreign (nation) the political a as itself nation the mother, is unconsciousness popular in the represented country a as Georgia The the relationship with these Christian states was not smooth and alwaysbeneficial for Georgia of course. Nevertheless Russia. the later and state) powerful most the of one was it when ages golden Georgian political forces, which first theEmpire Bezant,the (only of 11-12 centuriesis are exception which C. during the most part itsof history ithas been searchingfor aChristian protector against Muslim Hence once again this absence of father also has the implication as presenting the construction of the unconsciousness ofthe construction the presenting as implication the has also offather absence this again once Hence Georgian folk poetries The frequency infather-absence, constantthis of fairy casethe of could have tales, probably Even if the poetry itself is very short and laconic, it contains the implications, which need to be need which Even if itvery and implications, isitself to short laconic, poetry the contains enemies their over revenge taken out with die not will They Algeti in again raised be will wolf of cubs The Tbilisi, Nakaduli 1989 p. 15 47 : after claiming Christianity as the official religion in 335 A. 335 in religion official the as Christianity claiming : after The Mother 0f Georgia orthe Complex of the mother 17 48 , which will be CEU eTD Collection relationship) which alsohas the implication of presenting the construction of the unconsciousness from children-nation and (mother-country dyadic this from father the of absence the is there again Once such. as Georgian, of identity national the constitutes which narrative grand the of part is the course) inexamples later my Iwouldlike this tonotethat paper. representation, with (together of poetry the representation is something not uniquethatappears in this folk poetry only, Iwill withprovide more mother.This by strong the “heroes” rose generation of future the be of: the signifier to poetry appears illustrate mother-sons poetry;the tohence is thesculpture avisually signified of translated the what choseimage sculpture of this her willinheritauthorof sons The this from sword-phallus. the thatthe is shows it As sculpture the mother. phallic terms, in and psychoanalytic powerful, strong, very to the attributed becould only this metaphor mother, for the stands here wolf the be of wolf”; will cubs “the generation the that said is it mentioned, independently and explicitly not is mother the poem short very separated intolittle parts, but eventually, with unification,it gained a wider connotation). Even if in this was poem, when Georgia of the beintended bythetime creation of notthe it to was country. Maybe whole for the a metaphor as stands poem inthe mentioned place the (Algeti, sons; revenging alone the The woman represents the mother, Georgia, reduced in the poem to a concrete part it, in arising aconcrete of poem the Georgia,to reduced mother, the represents The woman of wolf Sons 1. Photo 18 CEU eTD Collection Georgian dress with a traditional glass of wine in one hand and with a sword in the other. (photo 2) represents in a figure national of Thestatue awoman, of namedwhich isGeorgia. Mother The placedhuge sculpture under communist the regimeof onthe hillintop the the capital, and Tbilisi poem which bears the same name belongs to that category of didactic poetries that I have mentioned above. 50 mentioned I have that poetries didactic of category that to belongs name same the bears which poem 49 a psychoanalytical from that argues Maisuradze G. analysis his During friends. welcomes always and Georgia unconsciousness. Georgian Oedipal for the is that the drama argue unfamiliar Jgerenaia) Maisuradze, Emzar One of the first Father. of absence the andthe mother phallic power of the examples the of presence the illustrates inawaywhich nation of Georgian the perspective psychoanalytical the is the article of Giorgi Maisuradze, In Journal the The Mother of Georgia is a very famous representation introduced by by 19 introduced representation famous avery is of Georgia Mother The These attributes suggest symbolically the idea that she is able todefend herself from the enemy Georgia of Mother 2. Photo (Giorgi scholars Georgian contemporary several father, the of ever-absence this to Due 49 ortheComplexofthe Mother, Aphra 1 Tbilisi, October-November, 1997 pp 179-188 published in 1997. 19 50 th In this piece of work he analyses the analyses he work of piece this In century writer, Ilia Chavchavadye, whose The Motherof CEU eTD Collection 54 53 52 51 … creature androgynous let not one, tothe does she means that which attributes, her phallic with aclosed position who creates mother, a but virgin, a not is She paradoxes. of isacomplex of Georgia “ Mother reproduce: The to is unable and world man’s business traditionally as such. He argues that the Mother of Georgia is closed towards the outer swordthe belongs domain tothe ofmasculinity.Fighting battle, where and is the used, sword isa traitsmasculinity,has thatshe suggests as of adopted of sword androgynous anyway. attribute The the deny which remains statue’scharacter the is to sword, isthe that thephallus,itimpossible a phallic mother. One of his arguments is that even if we disregard the psychoanalytical significance of perspective the figure represents a hermaphrodite creature, a woman, who possesses the phallus,hence nation and that the “cultural-psychological basics of this have statue oppressive and phobic impacts” of the unconsciousness the impactwell on not can country or the nation mother of image the of kind this that heclaims article endthe the of at Nevertheless is mother castrator. the the So castration. are afraid to psychoanalysis castration little her to of in stage andactually children, according boys pre-Oedipal the be castrated by their phallicwhich is mother”. the mothers, persona: one into unified are hate, love and of objects parents; both his impossible as almost becomes whereas scenario Oedipal the The playing of mother ofOedipus). (the Jocast, to aretransmitted functions little girls andhis absent, is simply Oedipus father of Georgian the far asLaois, excluded,as is totally Oedipality are blaming perspective of reproduction all…at situation this In psychoanalyticalthe mechanism dynamism- of her for their The Journal The The Journal The Giorgi Maisuradze, Giorgi Father absent ever the here means he Probably Although he does not say it, apart from the self castration, the sword could also be used for the Aphra 1 Aphra 1 Mother of Georgia or the Complex of the Mother October-November, Tbilisi 1997 p.188 1997 Tbilisi October-November, October-November, Tbilisi1997 p.182-3 53 52 51 By this she indicates her sterility and generally the fact of not having any having not of fact the generally and sterility her indicates she this By meeting with whom is her function. Consequently she is more likely an likely more is she Consequently function. isher whom with meeting 20 p.179 54 . CEU eTD Collection Institute forPeace, Democracy and Development, Tbilisi, 2000 55 synonym of power” toowe in mother,mightthe order because happen hereonly ismeal thing the similar of which the fathers kill sons paradigm psychoanalytical in the If cultures. other from different is unconsciousness) in Georgian all at exists this like something (if “patricide” of motivation the culture, Georgian he Emzar “In that the argues Jgerenaia,when bythesociologist stage’isarticulated Georgian which might be a logical conclusion after this type of analysis. notspeakaboutand of state Georgian the phallicmother, does the the pre-Oedipal unconsciousness, is of Mother Georgia the that state not he does perspective from psychoanalytical the it and analyses missingmy heismain emphasizes evenif opinion of point: theendogenous the he character statue the Ihavethat itfar, illustrated already so and showit I will inmysubsequent again Although in analysis. to the whole of Georgian cultureand which I think is really important. He states that what Mother of Georgia illustrates andis characteristic shows up in different forms in Georgian everyday life. I hope conflicts with phallic with mother. the conflicts on mostly concentrated is variation which acertain rather but drama, Oedipal benot atypical might it itquestionis mark or argued even leastimpossible. assomethingit Oratis if it assumed that happens, Discussions in the Caucasian Institute: The Georgian Feast (Sufr) Civicand the Ssociety In a different frame work, the same idea, of ‘almost impossibility of playing Oedipal drama on drama Oedipal playing of impossibility ‘almost of idea, same the work, frame adifferent In hemakes, that more argument one note to like Iwould his article of thereview of In theend Hence because of the absence of the father, the case of a traditional Oedipal Scenariois under a 55 . 21 ed.G. Nodia. Caucasus CEU eTD Collection of the present. The function of the Mother according to the poem is to educate him educate pastof the is poem the about to according to function Mother The of the of present. the worthy son which must be by raised motherthe Georgia of and whowilllight bring into the darkness enough sayto that it opens with the image of enslaved and demolished Georgia, iswho waiting for the to the raisingsummarise its of To a son. very content itsshortly and goal it understandbe would Georgia above. mentioned poems two the in given is which model of the mother andnote therethat in the story is the nonotion doubt of mother of Georgiathat does itnot figure, represents but it is accepted as the perfectthe extension of the model of woman Georgia level. discursive the on today even outdated not are which ideals and his haswork played ahuge role inthe construction of modern ideology,Georgian values and chose hiswritingscontrast withis exactly contemporary to hiswomen’s because writings personality this I into nationalsociety model the discourse. adopted and Thereasonwhy inscribingand who it That explains factof the its andextreme popularity doubtless acceptance ideal of this by Georgian out idyllic centuries. the through which accumulation imageof mother,the of was progressing the by him, an isillustrated The figureof exist mother, the before. did not Chavchavadze’s writings, inIlia constructed is it way the ideal, her that think to be correct not would it late, quite to whom Georgian culture owes lot.a Although the notion of the Mother of Georgia as such, appeared literal importantsocial figureonthepolitical, Chavchavadze, by scene of Ilia andperiod, the most the of Georgia 2.2 Mother In the selection I will follow a chronological order. First comes a poem titled poem a comes First order. chronological a follow will I selection the In I am going to give a brief overview of two poems: The notion Mother of of Georgiafrom appears midthe was nineteenth century.introduced It . It represents one of the most powerful and influential from the cycle of the poems dedicated poems of the from cycle the influential and most powerful one represents the of . It , and of whichbears, andofthe protagonist: the name of a story 22 To the Mother of Georgia, Otaaraant Kvrivi To theMotherof . Iwouldlike to and Mother of CEU eTD Collection 56 dies, son the story the of end the By him. with friendly very are well as brother her and she thou even does not resist to the wish of hisserveto them, impacts which on his mother because pride, theyareindependent and quite rich, but son. The sister of the baron doesandhas an only son.not The son falls in lovenotice with the sister of thebaron, and decides histo go to their place feelings of course,and morality peasants. The of protagonist of story,the widow, the lives in village.the She is a peasant problems andits intentional challengegoal was to and stress hierarchysocial illustrate virtuethe and gone she is dying, trying to reach the window and her last words are: “oh the son, the country”. country?”mother bringsher thisquestion toovercome the selfishdesirehe letshimgo.Once and is the about what then “and asks: just son The her. loves he really if her with stay to him proposes her; she nextto keep herson to egoisticdesire, mother’s the between is aclash Although there country. the to him sacrifice and go son only her let to is ready she that devoted is so she as moment, happiness goes to its Whenapogee, the motherand he confessestells son intervenes, allhappy because which movement is of the onand themother. going him it announcing to aboutthat heher has permission neverLater the him. hasraised “glorious she day”that that and for forit country becauseis the battle too, ever (orloved decision) her so much to happiness be to alive until loudlet dayandthis about her speaksout decision sendherto only son tothe as himat thatgo to the battle,who are going to battlethe to free theson’s country. people the of Shenoise the uttershears she a long window the monologueFrom bed. in the lying first, room, her in where alone is shemother the expresses her is “orphaned”. country/nation the because mentioned, is not father the Ofcourse hero. potential isfuture the itissay in poetry the about that To short clear himits his country and teach Hemust be be love. whosetrail bythe one followed will the generation. The Mother of Georgia In the story, “Otaraant Kvrivi” there is no nationalstic-patriotic discourse. It focuses on social focuses on It discourse. is nonationalstic-patriotic there Kvrivi” “Otaraant story, In the herson.First mother and (apparently old) a sick scenebetween the illustrates The secondpoem Works of Ilia Chavchavadze volume 1. 1985 23 56 CEU eTD Collection and the protagonist herself,Kvirivi as Otaraant adopted isan ideal of perfectthe personality and mother-son relationship, exampleof perfect the isthe it regardedas by social discourse well)the and storythe itself, (their relationshipis admired byeveryone in village,the by andpeasants bybarons as isidealized in mother thebondbetween andson in Kvirivi”,where “Otaraant illustrated and the well stressed more iseven relationship acton his own.This able not is to He as areproach. be perceived could tone not whichbyits stay,him hardly heresist, hejust her utterance, to can passively addresses leaveher notWhen mindchild, oldalone. the mother suddenly andasks parent andchanges can the mother (he says he couldbut he does not notwith out mother’s even permission, moreover,dream he can not even dare to aboutclaim his wishthis to his sense. it) It is clear in becausethe example of the poem of the responsibilityconsequently itis he, who adapts feminine features, who needs beto directed. He is notindependent in that herhe iswish the or whetheronly the orderpsychoanalytical that he behaves terms she isand a real acts in therefore features, masculine phallicembodies mother clearly ideal the qualities With all those in mother.this Sheor thathas the way.power over In theshort,herto son,whomustlead himtotherightway is which noother than serving theson, nation and country. it’s he accordingis passive, to sacrifice andis refuseher enough heregoismsufferedalot, andbe child, devoted has to to she ready ideal woman. She is deprived of all signs of sexuality or femininity, is strong, (or must be strong) means sameideal the the and mother as thanmother, the for woman rather role is there alternative no the story in later) is represented mother the way the extend will which(I poems the of content the from that hope I I haverelation. provided we can see what kind of an ideal mother at of her grave son. the sorrow must be. the of Of because dies also course mother the later A year palace. the of roof the form accidentally down falling What I would like to stress the attention on, is the image of the mother herself and mother-son and herself mother the of image is the on, attention the stress to like would I What Mother ofGeorgia 24 : he would like to go to the battle, CEU eTD Collection 60 59 58 Akaki Bakradze 57 woman man?”. hands and two legs, cannotresponds:“ whatI iswork? the difference protagonist the man, a as works she By betweenbecause villagers the whatby the is criticized man she when and man’s: of dignity that a woman?with If I am a woman, is don’t Gogia I have two betterher. It is interestingthan that in literature it is the only example where a me?woman’s force and work is equated Just becauseof areafraidhead village of the evenmenand the village, whole strict The everyone. she isvery with he is a with each other” alwayscoincide not socialmoral the necessarily and do social the practice show researches the as but models... century nineteenth the after determined is role social and vision mentioned inthe story herhusbandthat diedwhenshe was young andpretty ( shenever everhad even it is thou Even house. the sheisall alone andof course features, human some expresses hence cries, “she touched itwith such a kindof worship, asifshe waspraying”,itis and the only when time she week, she the phallic cleans hergun of describesit deadhusband(anultimate symbol) as narrator the is extremely rude and strict with him. The onlyshe life, time, whole his whenfor her she with showslove in been had her who sentiments, a peasant, of presence isin the but when,alone, is not once she a letsonly it herself sheafter do believessheis hisalone with body. Butwhen dead she finds that out and is dying son her when others of presence inthe cry even not does She man. any than better it after try to change her in this, and the narrator himself remarks that there was no need forit as she could run moral quality, woman Dodona Kiziria, Otaraant Kvrivi Ibid. p. 10 Dodona Kiziria, 60 57 As I have already mentioned the widow in the story has explicit features of the phallic mother: phallic the of features explicit has story in the widow the mentioned already have I As for Georgians the comparison with this character is the highest complement to emphasize her emphasize to highest complement is the character this with comparison forthe Georgians She controlshousehold, everythingand inthe he herson, even thou isold enough,doesnot . As Donora Kiziria remarks in her article in her remarks Kiziria As Donora . 58 Ilia in Otaraant kviriv as the moral ideal of aGeorgian woman Otaraant kviriv as the moral ideal of aGeorgian woman “Nevertheless it does not mean that in the second half of the twentieth century the century twentieth the of half second in the that mean not does it “Nevertheless Chavcahvadze Works of Ilia Chavchavadze Nakaduli, 1987 vol. 2. p. 40 25 Otaraant Kviriv as theMoral IdealoftheGeorgian p.10 59 CEU eTD Collection 61 love .Of by social his factor,the choice is exactly hierarchical course difference) this determined from her brother as well, is that she was blind and couldpurpose not notice the son’sof thedevotedmain is the scale social love the story, challenging and because stressing (actually of the hierarchy. social the with together main traditional reproach stronger even becomes of Kesocourse towards hisattitude love object; ashis hechooses woman to Keso, from critics thesame vision on the He consequently projects and one. she has where and controlling leading the expressed in the story was afraid of her. So the same act for her son would not have another consequence as well. treats them as her equals, and they do not seem to have problem with it, as deep in the heart everyonenot say a word to the sister, who he is in lovewomen in with.general, he isHis quite bravemother to give some for remarks exampleto the brother when speaksit comes up to this,him. with shyness not be The son couldthe of tothesocial attributed but only hisscale, towards to attitude can barons and than is more courageous her appearance) whether her,or is nomuch on there “could”emphasis as say would femininity, (I of the as the embodiment be who could considered sister) KesoHence (the The sister of the baron evenwhich he admit.can not Heisfeminized in like sensejustthis theson mentioned of poem the above. makes a jokesomething, about is worried with has son her that guesses and himtime a long for lasts which oncemelancholia, that he is ismakessense.speak up, It themother again him sheonce his who to of state unusual notices even dare to claim his wishof hismother”, he thatwould listen every time herto and would not act hewithout her permission.wants He can not to serve to baron, because he is afraidrepressed and masculine, excludedwith highly featuresexpressed powerful and dominating of her in a certain inmind her get to married once again) herattractiveness notspeakdoes about her femininity, is which Dodona Kiziria, This shyness of This shynessby couldmother, of his of beexplained son his the type the with relationship The son is the docile son, under the power of his mother: as the narrator states he is the “slave Otaraankt Kvirivi as an moral ideal of a Georgian Woman 26 p.14 shy as a newly broughtbride. a newly shy as 61 . CEU eTD Collection psychoanalytical theory and later Iwill show to reveal the contemporary versions. now onexamining the now Iwill goon mother, of Mother ofGeorgiaphallic dominance the andthe woman. an “un -attainable” because a son like him, who is under the control of the phallic mother, would chose as his love object Hence as I have illustrated hopefully the traditional idealized vision and representations of of vision the idealized and representations hopefully Hence as have traditional illustrated the I 27 CEU eTD Collection journal Arile, ( 25 March 1998 vol.7) but I was using its online version, whichextracts you which can respond check to my at scope oninterests in this concrete case. This story was first published in1998 in a literary and nationalism, problems of the early ninetieth’s Georgia, (and not only the early ninetieths) but I will only focus onthe 62 the of Analysis Mother of Georgia/Phallic theMother of 3.1.Crisis Chapter Three: Contemporary stories having shower in the bathroom. He recalls that his mother used to be a teacher of be literature, a usedto his mother Georgian of teacher that bathroom. Herecalls in shower the having sauce,meat, hairhe for Afterwards, bones,woman’s the firstand soon”. masturbated time, while hisgarbage fell fell“the myheadon head: paperbag putrid aubergines, on rotten Irecognized: and lookingheWhenbag old, apaperof years he as was full was twelve oneday window, the through me to.” let never they but them, with play to wanted I and rabbits were rats that thought I and heaven, when he started to notice the garbage around. As the narrator puts it: “Before then I was happy, Iwas in isprotagonist suffering from convulsions when and spasms started that he wasfive yearsold, age the fourththird or world”. The only thing that hehas leftis his is gun, which for hunting.destined The 16 year oldlives boy who hiswith mother and isabandoned by father,the who hasmigrated to“the nevertheless unable to get away and break up the chains which connect him to her chora. illustrates the anxiety and the weakness of the son, who does not accept the world of the Mother,the social but ischanges, can no longer fulfil the function ascribed to her by the national traditionaldiscourse. Thevalues, story and more precisely about the crisis of the traditional Mother of Georgia, with the crisis andabout the malepseudonymZuraMesxi. Thestory speaks the challenges of who due to Story AShort First of all I would like to mention that this story contains many aspects criticizing the social life and society, thepolitics The action of the story takes place in post-soviet Georgia, after the civil war. The narrator is a is narrator The war. civil the after Georgia, inpost-soviet place takes story the of action The The first story The first discuss story in is goingfirst my Iam that paper called Spasms andwaspublished to by Naira Gelashvili Naira by Spasms, 62 28 CEU eTD Collection As the protagonist says: protagonist As the she has lost her and job herself nowcan support and by only hermagazines. son selling pornographic traditional powerful phallic mother, but becomes somewhat castrated: due to the social events (the war) the more no is she Thus, motherland’. the of love the them “teach and values traditional the with Georgian discourse entails that she must raise and educate the worthy sons of the nation, toimbue them Mother of Georgia. Thethere is the ever absentmother father. Second, there is the mother, who symbolizes the worshipped and praised used to be a teacher of Georgian literature,him, and both of them head off to see her. This is where the story ends. a profession protagonistout tosearchfor goes in adoctor empty hospital,the no with electricity.Finally, hefinds that in the The bleeding. shestarts which says) after coldis here”-she too (“It have anintercourse they insistence, role for granted, and accompanies her in a hospital for abortion.After the abortion, because of the girl’s likely to be the father of her child (since he was always “protecting himself”), he nevertheless takes this a robbery.At samethe time,his ‘girlfriend’ outtobe turns pregnant. Although is protagonistthe less building. Thesemeetings often end Later, upin one ofhisfriendsorgies. in is beingarrested, suspected herself. nation”, shebegan tosell magazines, wearingpornographic darkglasses and hair artificial disguise to butas writers, herfavourite pridethe selling “nobooks, wasbuyingof none of Georgian the one and asshelostjob, her shehad tofind source another incomeof survive. inorder to Atfirst,she was because of colitis- arrhythmia and so on. so and arrhythmia of because colitis- neurosis colitis, because of because Sheshame, of something hasaneurosis that… like ‘theor idea’ becauseshebetrays is suffers, and magazines and ashamed pornographic was proud as every Georgian, who is even proud of the own pride. Now she is selling At this point, after giving a short summary of the story, I will proceed with the analysis. First, school abandoned an in friends his with out hanging of consists protagonist the of life The “And my mother was the teacher of the Georgian literature. Just imagine… and she 29 CEU eTD Collection world. The garbage dominates everything:itis thrown off from windowsthe of it blocks,the fills the metaphor whole of outer the a values, life-style ‘old’ and of itthe serves also but as ametaphor present) be not only ‘real’ appears to the specific this really (although garbage during this time problem was The garbageultimately grotesque. the to which joyful positiveare characteristic or connotations lacks anyof itthe impact. Nevertheless, ithas that, agrotesque due to and impression exaggeration, of an important feature of the story. Its description is so powerful and explicit that it creates the was 5 years old, when he started to notice the enormous amount of garbage. The presence of garbageis for the others. example an andprovide mother rolerespectful of nolongerthe and assume can values and dignity her all lost has she that fact the emphasizes relationship secret Her everywhere”. are running andwhererats houseamong toilets, refrigerators boxes, in storage acertain smelling for him. Otherwise, I only appreciate this. And all I wish for is that they did not have sex at that market, that a former pedagogue has encountered a man, who does son showsnot indifference: even “I did not have spasms.buy Ijust said: “thecondoms only thing that hurts me now isand the fact she has to do it yesterday sexual a secret she“boughtfrom with because ten condoms The relationship me”.someone, mother or father of all sins” is, herhigh that life the appreciation, bethankfulself thatundermined andshemust this perspective, muchfrom notknow thislook downonhow means, even does nota Christian people, and does she and stuff andlike that”. stuff in service of nowyouschool, because arenolyingmore preachingnor some bullshityou and arereally your nation longing you for. AndbeNow proud! havemoreby for reasons before!your that than In that freeing they are your what people to andthem give courageously bethere, if yourhome. go, at stay Or form sexual hunger, the of because havespasms Idonot suffer! Donot of Georgia! Mother woman! Palaeolithic. O my mother, O-O-O As I have already mentioned, the protagonist is suffering from spasms, which started whenis he started which spasms, As protagonist from have suffering the mentioned, I already Later, he adds: “It’s true her colitis ismore serious now, but sheis not that proud anymore and Moreover,learns as from protagonist the is hisneighbour, who sellingcondoms, hismother has I stood up I stood on chairthe her my with solely to and opened:”Georgian claimed arms 30 CEU eTD Collection 63 all”. this at without garbage and make all after wear adressI will and to thissplendid experiment that notlive they prove can sweep away my burnalive aspeechless bird,whowastryingsweep, -me to and theirgarbage… with dress, a plissé festival of a Gypsy woman… they will drag me to the square of Liberty and will burn me they will catch me, byscreaming and damning me:“homosexual!” Well, “gay”! Iwill be a wearing know, “I is unrealisable: it therefore and martyr, a of way is the this But windows. from out thrown dress surviving:as a to Gypsy woman everyoneshoot commit inthe one block.is The second suicide. The third,isof as heclaims,to away her son.The son himself has possibilities;three theis first his to take father’s fusil, phallus, the and herGeorgia. Through behaviour,isfar she from being ideal an for example and authority arespectful the garbage from the window, but Ialso do not take it out either. Hence, I am throw not a sadist”. do I son. only her killed almost garbage thrown the when event the after Especially garbage. throwing mother my observe to me for worthy it’s but anymore, it see not would I case this In it. attitude to the garbage being thrown out the window... I could tell her not to do it, and she would not do attemptinghide to itfrom son,the as“she wasinstinctively feeling mysensitive, thereforetraumatic garbage!”playing issings,more it dances, playsandwrites in asinging, nothing than poems thegarbage, and dancing one When dustman. a become and shout must garbage the in is sitting who one the all... of most hate there are a lot of them, and everyone is and poets,musicians, beesof proud painters, in“imagine,writers, art... named this it: has country Georgia of it, most of all the artists themselves.streets, the whole city delves in garbage and everyoneIt’s is a part of the garbage, as themlong as they are living that I Under Soviet period, it was mostly Gypsies who were sweeping the garbage from the streets. the from garbage the sweeping were who Gypsies was mostly it period, Soviet Under This extract illustrates once more the decadence of the traditional phallic mother, the Mother of The mother of the protagonist also throws garbage from the window, but at first she is 63 , to put a scarf on his head and sweep off all the garbage that is 31 CEU eTD Collection 64 nothe does really But resist fulfilfather. therole of heis the ready to is childfather of the unknown, beenter intoOedipal pregnant,his although post to the and the turns girlfriend stage: when out to assumehis becomeSecond, he not himselfin isto ifhe can afather which (even a sense), role, tries notdoes use his father’sfusil; his decision remains as a decision and as a future plan in story.the he First, chora. the from out get not can and phallus father’s the inherit to able not is son The mother. relatively are atthis point unorganised.” which Eagleton describes as the ‘(child’s) body as criss-crossed by a flow of ‘pulsions’ or drives which convulsions of the son, in this sense, correspond to what J. Kristeva calls the ‘Chora’, the spasmsand The her -hersheiscastrated. andthus phallus lost has becauseshe pride, by discourse, Semitic,the and is prescribed that role the fulfil longer no can She power. her has longer no mother phallic this mother, inis anxiety caught the mother.a childwho traditional of realm the to phallic of Asopposed His final isdecision toshoot all windowsthe and commit to suicide afterwards. either. Finally,he decides justto express his and protest toclaim heisnotthat part of total this garbage. mother,who can fulfil herrole not heisby castrated because the raised assume this role,perhaps henot can But light”. “bring the and garbage willthe who away theone sweep discourse, traditional in the is articulated that son” become “the worthy him the to way requires whereas third the protest, from the mother and cut of the separation achieve phallus, fusil,might thepossessor hence become hisfather’s protagonist use himselfthe that require offoptions two first The from world. social rest the to consequently and her mother, the to him realm. But these two hemust bind chains assumebreak it. mother,as she which the is that Hence,theseoptions of the waysa part are just the expression of Eagleton, Literary theory, 1994s Oxford p. 188 He is also differentfrom the “traditional”image of the son. He does not worship and admirehis I would arguethatthis isstory old,of a sixteen-year who sufferingspasms, the from represents against also and society, the garbage, the against rebellion express possibilities All thesethree 64 . 32 CEU eTD Collection blocked and fixed leadsblocked andself-destruction. totheprobable connection mother andand of trapped of closed state relationshipandthe with Georgia, outdated ancient the this anxiety her the leadsfails, projection The mother theof ideal on to protagonist. the this and of the inis expressed story,the ofsolvingcontinuing conflict, the physical there the noperspective and to andlogicallyis according upbringing Hence, reproduce, not noquestion nextgeneration. the there of to adopt the traditional and ideal function ascribed to the Mother of Georgia. She does notwant and can by his girlfriend. Therefusal motherhood of by girlfriend the illustrates and proves again herinability of futuresuggest thatGeorgia, he Mother represented actually the the possibility gives demolishes to of shethat, is bleeding. Theend ambiguous of story,the itis where notclear if girlthe survives not, or child. the of responsibility the take to wants really he that her persuade not does and abortion the of will her After the elimination of the foetus, he has an intercourse with hein her asaresult foetus, hospital, has anintercourse and the the elimination of After the 33 CEU eTD Collection losing virginity, which becomes the reason of their split. The father, who has left the country and has and country the left has who father, The split. their of reason the becomes which virginity, losing of fear the from suffers She student. her is narration, diffused the from out turns it as who, boyfriend, She has a andstepsister. mother,her stepfather her andlives with ageof seven, father atthe her a certain event. post- called chapters small into is divided nevertheless cannot be claimed to be omniscient. The be omniscient. to claimed be cannot nevertheless who narrator, non-identified an of is that one last the and boyfriend, daughter’s the boy, young a from story perspective.relationshipanother paragraphs,this the represents following in the show Iwill As colours. idealized in relationship mother-child describe usually questionnarratives,its which thedeals taboo plottraditional Georgian of revolutionary, with in that “successful” triad over dyad the with her firstdaughter. is expressed byher havinghusbandanother Hence andadaughter. has motherthe a privileged revenge over the mother, because she did not gave her enough love, and has betrayed her. This betrayal ismore nothing than father the with tothe daughter’smother. liaison The which isreal related conflict in is my argueandhides I will show traditional amask,Oedipal as stratagem, the which analysis, only this incestual it Nevertheless, afather-daughter’s describes relationship. explicitplot: Oedipal female writer. The short story is called story The short writer. female Kalandadze by Magda story A short of Analysis (?) Other the as 3.2. Father To sum up, it is a story about a youngsum it isTo a by (herup, about astory woman ageisambiguous),whowas abandoned The story is narrated by three narrative voices, one of which belongs to the daughter, another another to daughter, the belongs of by to which one narrative is voices, three The story narrated The reason why I have chosen this story in particular is that it could be considered as being The next text that I have chosen for my analysis is written by Magda Kalandadze, a young a Kalandadze, Magda by is written analysis my for chosen have I that text next The Everything about someone else’s father before Everything about someone else’s father else’s aboutsomeone Everything or after. 34 These chapters are separating sequences pre-and areseparating sequences These chapters narration times are confused as well, as the text . This story has an CEU eTD Collection 65 ofthe narrative suicide.The her endsupcommitting with reaction, terrified father, with obsessed The esodophobia. which relationship, whichendsupwith intercourse, causes the panicof incestual the daughter, the ismeets a firsthim. the daughter Here ajournalists. for where organizes They are starting conference been working in Russia in mass media, returns to Georgia as the director of a TV channel, and and to taboomother. Iwouldthe could this arguethat factbe patient’s nervous regardedasthe of attitude silencing in his/her discourse subjective”. unbearably the real I am reasonexplaining her withof allmight caress methe as well – I am hermy first daughter and she heartdoes not have a dog either. In the second case internal and soul how andand why when I hate I conflict,hate her her.so much. In the Those my mother.first She only comes to me when I call her,times and me, I callcase her only in two cases: whenas I miss I her I am am kissingI will andher, sheis just 14years old, andembracing me, I don’t havea cat. Nino does revealirritatenot me, I just hate her. She is her, with later.theshe is my sister and bringshope memeal. ... I throw her out from my room, sometimesthat I am even embracing maybe she meof mostall, irritates is who Tamuna It ofpoliteness. norms the atall.heenter preserves But to not stepsister) enters my room three times a day, Nino (mother) enters twice, and Sandro (step-father)maternal includingenvironment, her stepfather andsister, with followingthe terms: “Tamuna (her tries the describes Georgian daughter The fiction. to are unusual which scenarios, itabove, offers different mentioned already have I as because, is this for reason The mother. and son and father and daughter which is full her.towards disgustof From his narrative wealso learn about daughter’sthe death. his illustrate attitude, narrative serves entire boyfriend’s the to lyinginThe day the bed. daughter’s Everything about someone else’s father.In Throughout the story, the daughter never mentions the reasons for her tense relationships with relationships tense her for reasons the mentions never daughter the story, the Throughout Whatstresswould like I isat this to therelationship point and daughter between mother, after chapters describes the state of chaptersdescribes this state Sheis the daughterafter the event. sick andspends 65 Kviris Palitra 2003 26 Novemberp. 18. 35 CEU eTD Collection 66 plumped as well, all red, breathingheavily” hands in fatness, lost face whole the diminished, and closed eyes those and eyes her in hairs mouth, of ashes and meal. She had a pillow on her traces coveredwith lyinginthe sheets which was body, burry misshaped traces, this anderase without stomach, a bowl of cream in one hand andhe herhis visits at insisting mother’s “when in demands: I entered felt stinkingthat another room I desire tokill in her body from herinner perspective. in body is way narrator’s the the not describes probably garbage in story), previousthe short any only joyfulwithout positive or connotation.most Andit body the synonymousit in adjectives notion and tothe description the of grotesque resembles of (as nauseating, sordid" illunlike mine: me,butIstill mutilated, incurableprefer sick, bad,with disease,rotten, disgusting, happily resolved family romances: “SandroNinoTamuna is one organism.Maybe a healthy organism, the of asymbol creates although triad this mother, of the areattributes stepfather the and The sister love. maternal losing for blames she also who sister, younger her for jealousy and present) formally is she if (even mother, the from child abandoned the of hate is the it that suggest might one Nevertheless, 67 and when hermedicinesI bought she son, don’texasperate said, me, please, and please, go visither, “She didherway anyway, shespoiledand destroyed andpoisoned all. meafter she Recently,was sick under how the herpower.Thisishergo andvisit episode of insistence tohis isdescribed: ex-girlfriend themother heisstill towards disrespectful isaggressiveand discourse the son’s his mother. Although and disgusting organism is the ispart that separated and excluded from maternalthe realm. andfrom apartmentthe as well tohisand rushes friend’s place where he ends up vomiting. This sordid Ibid p. 20 Everything aboutSomeone else’s Father The grotesque image of her body also appears in the narrative of the daughter’s boyfriend, when The son-mother relationship appears in narrativethe sequenceof daughter’sboyfriendthe and 66 . The description is ultimately exaggerated and overstated by the stressed use of by use stressed andthe overstated isexaggerated ultimately . The description p. 18 67 . The result of this image is that he runs out from the room 36 reality, but the way the narrator seesherown narrator way the the but CEU eTD Collection 68 apillow andnow all her” take thinking: throttle shocked, here, standing am I her. see and go flowers, her buy shelf, the on money is there Please, health. Lena’s what will Nino think, I go to her so often because ofmy sickness, Ican noteven dare and ask her about work (they are having sexual relationship without penetration because of esodophobia,). (they because daughter’s the penetration without work sexual relationship of having are from another country. In Lacanian terms, he is the desired Other, with whom the incest taboo social world, outer the from arrived alien, is an does astranger, He perspective. daughter’s the from exists not relationship is described by daughterin the tones. Theerotic father himself speak, not he does only father”your replies “Are daughter the youfond movies?” of Spanish The father–daughter version. This in isalsosuggested when the physician’s text, the to “tell me question: everything about my inAlmadovari’s beits “Everything mother”, and alternative acertain film to way turns about her image the of his mother. her father, and alwaysmature with regard to the boy, who unconsciously seeks and triesproject to onto his teacher.This doublingsuggests the attitude to/of women: sheis littlealways a girl with regard to is she context boyfriend’s her From awoman. as to referred always is she boyfriend, her of narrative in sheyears old, whereas the twenty isayoung girl, impression leavesthe narrative around that aggressive andinsulting, he still docileremains fulfilling andobedient, her wishes. his mother, heis unlike still in herpower, under even if earlierthe Moreover, is story. his attitude worships of mostall who son, respectful the of representation nois ifthere even all!” Therefore, after me is killing tie this And what? or body, torn and rotten Paichadze’s Lena receive won’t land native and go, it is not proper, it he“ my the fucked says:mymotherdeath, mydaughter’s goton just nerves!!! mind:go Oh, just She is not proper... so what, if I won’t throw a rotten flower on the coffin the Everything about someone else’s father At a first glance, the story is about the father. The title intertextually refers to Pedro to refers intertextually title The father. the isabout story the glance, a first At in story. remainsthe mentionedageof the Her that I have daughter ambiguous the already p.21 37 68 . In the last sequence, where he announces he where sequence, last the In . CEU eTD Collection 69 maternalher wasnot love enough. complex,just but revenge the overthemother, because bygiving the daughterafew amountmilk,of oedipal Freudian andof repressed realisation the is not achievement the incestwith father the love maternal the for stands theory inpsychoanalytical which milk, maternal of lack a thedaughtersuffersfrom with byitself factthat milk, indicates the maternal the milk, associated which of aproduct cream, as sour thetime. The cream all sour is eating daughter the myargument: proves at quote the beginning the of thechapter. in itsis asit of patron, shown towards is lovea dog attitude mother tothe the (Her compared towards and hate anxiety. into herloveleft isturned all her) andhence who chosenfather, of unsuccessfully the inphallus may this case be regardedas the traditional (because triadic family patriarchal the of order, The phallus. desired the give to unable was she whom mother, her with love in choice, homosexual privilege for the clitoral orgasm over theher vaginal one penetration, appears of and ultimatelyvirginity the as losing theof signfear The of themother. daughter’s the towards hate daughter’s and mother This relationshiphidesit,behind something whichis father, connectednotto the leadsbut tothe Melanie Klein (1956) There is one more detail in the story on which I would like to insist, asit insist, would aclueand provides in like whichto is Theredetail more theI one on story A Study ofEnvy and Gratitude , in Rosalind, in Minsky (1996), 38 Psychoanalysis andGender 69 . Consequently, . , p. 238 CEU eTD Collection during one week, “as, Iknew, she wouldlaterblame for me notkeeping my andpromises, Ichose the all at her see to not claims narrator angry the which after them, between clash of a reason becomes Onecuriousshe justgets day, while and out, letsthe mouse wasin her partner thebathroom. This it. touch ever never would she that promises narrator the relationship, their of beginning the In happy. according herto conception of happiness, only the one whohas never ever experienced it, can be really aperfect for existinghappiness her tocreate one ideals,ineven thing “achievement” as world, the in a box and she never lets out. This absolute isolation of this mouse was the realisation of the woman’s by deserted her husband and from suffers Thetuberculosis. has woman a little mouse, whichshe keeps is She language. German in the is aspecialist She forties. mid in her and her than is older who woman, a with relationship her about learn we memories, fragmented her From bus. in the home way her on bemother. herown in theself-destruction,thisher leadsher child. to killing decision to But turns asthe unknownwoman daughter drives her to the desire of castrating a certain woman, who she sees in the bus, frustration Theof the inthe andmain double character, anxiety husbandphallic order. over the which consists relationship with another woman fails as well. Her partner, as long as the story shows, privileges her ex fill her. to mother byhavingalesbian gap the unacceptable daughter’s forThe attempt with the totally a ridicule figure, been reducedto shehas representation, mother. glorious the From by her the Germanforget language A short story by Magda Kalandadze by Magda story A short Language German the forget to 3.3.How The story is a narrative of a young girl. This narrative represents a reconstruction of memories of areconstruction represents narrative This girl. young a of narrative a is story The The third story The analysestory thirdI am that to going title toMagdaKalandaze. belongs also is Its . The main focus of the is the story daughter’s whichisfrustrated anxiety, 39 How to CEU eTD Collection 70 to forget all the things she has to forget, and she starts with the German language. meetingkeep this the woman fistpromise her giveto their(on had she to pledges itpromised up). She a disease. She drinks hot tea with lemon, smokes intensively without any regret, as she does not need to the future, when she will get rid of these clothes, as she knows that the illness of the woman is actually out. her sends and promises her in believe not does she that says woman the but much, so her with stay to wants she a word, the girl’s character she is sure that she will show up anyway. The girl promises her that she will notsay to according and so, not is it know both they that saying again, refuses gently woman the but student, a is she insists,pretend that shesaysthat will she immediately protests, everything”. Thegirl guess leave. The reason of the refusal is that her ex-husband came to visit her, and if he sees inthe girl “hethe will entrance of the apartment, and does not want to let herher friend. in and after thanking,side of the father,she as she generally hates the yellowasks colour, and asks him formoney to buy hera presentfor to tragedy, then both of them will have a discussion on the topic “oppressedof woman”. The girl takesfamily the the about her tell and friends her of one to go will she now Perhaps house. the from out rushed and bag a took mother) (the “personality” crying “the father: the of side the takes explicitly girl The protesting against his will, and is screaming out: “ Oh, Guram, but Ialso have my personality after all!” dyefather callshertohelphim, motherbecause the decided tois mother herhairinyellow. The her and asks her to bring her some medicines,for at that time she was ill from pneumonia. will” strong my of coefficient maximal How Forgetto theGerman language After buying the necessary medicaments, she goes to her partner’s house. The woman meets her meets woman The her house. partner’s to she goes medicaments, thenecessary After buying The place. takes house girl’s the in drama family a phone the on conversation their to Parallel That is where the memories end. Now the narration goes into prolepsis, and the girl thinks about inKviris Palitra 2006 14 February p. 15 70 . But exactly the day before the expiring date, the woman calls 40 CEU eTD Collection 71 frustrated, as she cannotprovide her with the desired phallus, because of herlack of her the strong will,leaves also and however, This, woman. in another mother the finding of connotation the has woman that the person is grown up and mature enough, but her attempt to prove it fails every time in the story. to herlover and herself to wellas she that canhave enoughstrength. strength Having good supposes offspring from the outer world and problems and make everything for it. The girl’s aim is also toprove isolate her to parent wish of the care, and lovematernal forexaggerated asmetaphor be translated beinghavingof not not grown enough upand astabilised personality.The episode mousethe of could notkeepingfor and lack herpromises, forthe will, of strong could be reproach which asthe translated her blames She forehead. the on her kisses and gesture) maternal (explicit health, her about concerns maternal and she treats her as a child: she asks her to promise that she will give up smoking, because of Apart character. maternal from explicit an has lovers the between relationship The one. own her in thefrustrated is considerable age difference, the attitude of the woman towards the girl is really yellow.bright This reminds herabout morning the quarrel in her family. How to forget the German language -Go down, I will pay. Hey, be careful, don’t step on my feet -… you areheremom, -Hey, youdid came when into? Csssssss. Here it is. Iam going to the driver, playing with coins in my hand. havevictory… I over, a meI wishshe It’s from beginning, could see the now. is here accomplished promise, the would kill with to the greatbeauty salons, saying how can I meetlike pleasurethis people who will come to the funerals. I imagined,Suddenly I when these of kind children women’s are dying,the they and are rushing child of this “ am hasirritated. IwonderinI howgetting many shespent thebeauty hours salon? woman, and I will, if I ever meet it. Well, I would also argue thedaughter’sthat engagement in lesbian a relationship with an older since mother, “ideal” thedaughter asearch other of thisthe I would story represents arguethat Occupied with these thoughts the girl notices a woman, sitting in front whose hair is dyed into dyed is hair whose front in sitting awoman, notices girl the thoughts these with Occupied p.18 41 71 ” CEU eTD Collection from the only phallus she possess, when she sees her as the other. This phallus is her child, the finding herideal in woman isanother failed as well,her anxiety herdrives to ideathe of castrating her able to assume the role assigned for her by the traditional discourse. As the daughter’s attempt of figure, turned intoan object of hate and disgust for the daughter. There is no question that she is not a ridicule sheisreducedto glorious representations, time-honoured From the Georgia. of Mother story, only the way tofind the way, final the victory can only be achieved by self-destruction. the of logic the In self-liquidation. the for stands decision this Nevertheless, theory. psychoanalytical in inan offspring embodied traditionally phallus, her the from away her, totake castrate to therefore killing daughter has nodesireabout ofreunification. like“a woman dreams a childof She that”, whom the towards is alien, irritating, who regardedassomeone other butthe inLacanian terms, good form) tothe people coming tothe funeral. The other in this case isnotanymore the desired other, more about their appearance,the association having the excuseof the mostthatof the story, when she sees“they herunworthy mother in thebus, as a stranger, as the other. The yellow haircan brings her notof allshow mothers, up respectfulby not from as and end daughter’s standpointthe the which disgusting, comes somethingup who even in case of their fact about the inyellowhair The of dying isregarded family drama from perspective. daughter’s the children’s death care figure as a ridicule is havepresented she authority, not an in does mother mother. The her frustrated is Thedaughter clearly beingfar from perfect. is relationship the that guess she mentions, one could language, which becametraitother of their unification. language, (she is a translator in the Embassy of Germany), connotes her otherness again: she speaks the German the of specialist is a woman the that fact The context. in this husband her privileges again she Similarly theprevious to story,is notmuch there said motherthe again.from about But what Therefore, the mother in this story has nothing to do with the image of the phallic mother, the 42 like this (hence not in a CEU eTD Collection of leads of again.solving self-destruction tothe conflict the extension of her body, but in this case the daughter has to liquidate herself. So once more, the only way 43 CEU eTD Collection figures is able to fulfil the assumed functions of the Mother of Georgia, which therefore leads to her castrated Neither of market. these magazines inthe porno selling language, teacher of Georgian the mother who has familya to husband, her with conflictsmarriage unsuccessful an of because daughter becauseown her dislikes who mother of the colour of her hair. Finally toa is she of decreased Mother asshe of Georgia, the representation for the traditional isnoplacethere is the mother, a former symbolic figureisstrong who father, intervene of the in to supposed andseparate them.dyadic this leads self-destruction,the overcomebecausethe absencethe attempt to unbreakable, of to of itany and liaisonrests this however, in children.the this, Despite anxiety androle, dissatisfaction andthis causes different aspects, the results conflicts,the which may inarise situation.Although this stories itsthe Ihave which show analysed are similar. The image of the traditional realm mother. the phallicof mother fails to fulfilacts herof child, andnotthe child itself. the child Thus, nevergrows up, and remainsin immature the its for the becomes responsible motherisit whoher the authority, Ina the opposite. sense, dueto quite but narrative, grand in the challenged not is mother, the with attachment strong the thus Oedipality, the Georgian unconsciousnessinsignificant. The exist, isor his confirm symbolic,analyses not existence withinthat this paper does rests powerfulin and strong mother.the The traditional Oedipalpre-Oedipal drama is alien to it, as the father, on the level of phase, in the realm of the mother.Conclusion This pre- These conflicts and anxieties are caused by social changes. In the contemporary narratives, contemporary In the by changes. social arecaused andanxieties These conflicts on attention the stress and show writers women Georgian contemporary of pieces The several In thesis,this have I Georgian arguedthatthe is unconsciousness by dominated image the the of 44 CEU eTD Collection represents a catastrophe, embodied in the symbolical in liquidation. embodied symbolical self the acatastrophe, represents For the Georgian unconsciousness, on the contrary, as I have illustrated, this not-accomplished split in body. lies inloss the of with splitmaternal mother, the the person’s the tragedy, that supposes by self-destruction.the stories in the aswell, expressed unconsciousness contemporary Georgian crisis the of the crisis to and To conclude, there is a contrast with Freudian, and especially Lacanian psychoanalysis, which psychoanalysis, Lacanian especially with Freudian,and is acontrast conclude, there To 45 CEU eTD Collection Sharadze, Guram - Madan - Sarup, November, 1997 Misuradze Giorgi Minsky, Rosalind - Kristeva, Julia - Kristeva, Julia - November, 1992 Gelashvili, Naira - Freud, Sigmund - Encyclopedia of Mythologies volume 3. Georgian mythology, Tbilisi 2007 Eagleton, Terry - Nodia.for CaucasusInstitue Peace, Democracy Development, Tbilisi,and 2000 Discussions intheCaucasian Institute: The GeorgianFeast (Sufr)and the CivicSsociety - Ilia Chavchavadze, Kiziria, Dodona - Kalandadze Magda- Kalandadze tales Georgian popularfairy Bakradze, Akaki - References Jaques Lacan, Interviews The portableKristeva - The Mother of -TheMother Georgiaor the complex ofthemother , Literary Introductio theory: An The FreudReader Otaraankt Kvrivi Spasms Ilia Chavchavadze,Ilia Psychoanalysis andGender Ilia , The Mother ofThe Mother Georgia, Everything about someone else’s father Everything about Nakaduli, Tbilisi, 1987 , edited by Ross Mitchell Guberman, CUP, New York, 1996 http://www.zigota.net/M/mesxizura-smazmebi.htm , Tbilisi, 1984 Harvester Wheatsheaf , Oxford 1992 as the moral ideal of a Georgian woman, Literary Georgia, 27 , edited by Peter Gay, New York, Norton 1989 , edited by Kelly Oliver CUP, New York, 1007 Tbilisi, 1990 1985 , 1996 n, Oxford, Blackwell, 1994 46 . In Kviris Palitra 2003, 26November in Aphra1, Tbilisi, October- ed. G.