Freud’s analysis from the reading “Family Romances” attempts to clarify the stages of child development. Freud’s notes from the beginning paragraphs stating “ The child’s most intense and most momentous wish during these early years is to be like his parents” is very agreeable. As a child, he or she would always want to imitate the parents, follow them everywhere, or do and wear whatever the parents did. However, with further reading it becomes hard to relate, Freud believes that at some point, possibly during puberty they will come to arguments and disagreements with their parents and so seek some sort of revenge on the parents through fantasies. I believe there are times where a child is more likely to be rebellious or make rebellious actions but I do not agree with the condition, Freud titles “Family Romance”. There certainly are some cases where some children try desperately to get their parent’s attention or to have the family return to happier times. However, those cases occur in families where the parents may be going through difficult situations. I don’t think every child goes through a mental condition where he imagines or elaborate tales of the family. After the courses of child development as Freud describes, he says some overcomes this condition but there are a class of neurotics who failed to moved pass this. To label a period of time where children develop into teenagers as a mental illness or condition seems a bit weird to me. I, personally admired my parents all throughout my childhood and till this day I still do and will continue to.

• Shan Shan Chen