Sigmund Freud: On Sexuality: Three Essays on the Theory of
Sexuality and Other Works, trans. James Strachey (London:
Penguin, 1991)
Questions for reading purposes
1. How does Freud define fetishism? Pay attention to his distinction between
normal instances of fetishism and abnormal instances thereof. At what point
does fetishism become pathological? (pp. 66-67; see also p. 75 for his definition
of “the pathological character in a perversion”.)
2. How does Freud view touching and seeing? When does looking /seeing
become a perversion? (pp. 69-70) How would you relate Freud’s explanation of
voyeurism to Venus im Pelz?
3. How does Freud define sadism? How does he define masochism? How do these
two perversions relate to one another, according to Freud? (pp. 70-71)
4. In your view, what implications does Freud’s theory of sadism and masochism
have for our reading of power relations between the sexes in the various works
on our course? (see esp. p. 73)
5. In what ways might we describe Gregor Samsa and the country doctor as
hysterics? (see Freud, pp. 78-79)