There are two over-all stages of biological and psychological development that every individual must go through. The first stage lasts from birth to about ten years of age. In turn this stage is divided into two phases; the first, the phase we call infancy, lasts roughly for the first five years of life. The second phase we call the latency period and occupies the second five years of life.
The first five years of growth, the infantile period, is of enormous importance for later development. In this phase the whole personality takes the shape and develops the characteristics that will distinguish it from that time on.
At this point I have to note a certain scientific fact that may surprise or disconcert you. I ask you to withhold any prejudices of a personal or moral kind you may have about this fact, for they will only obscure the entire issue and make it difficult for you to understand one of the most important contributions science has made to the understanding of the human mind.
The decisive fact, then, about the infantile period is that the little creature is very heavily endowed with strong sexual feelings. The students of this subject are in absolute agreement on this point. There is no longer the slightest inkling of a doubt about it. All scientific methods of checking the fact have been employed. These range from direct observation of children to the recovery of childhood memories through hypnosis or while subjects have been under the influence of hypnotic drugs, direct reports from children, and several other sources.
This sexual drive is centered on the genitals from the outset, and it can be seen very clearly in children who masturbate. Such masturbation is a perfectly normal activity in boys and girls during this entire period.
The important point about this masturbation is the fact that the little girl masturbates by the manipulation of her clitoris. She has no awareness of her vagina as a sensual area.
The sexual feelings of infancy increase in intensity after the second or third year. Now masturbation may increase. In a very real sense the strong sensual feelings experienced at this age set the mold for the later sexual development of the child.
For the first three years the little girl is deeply and primarily attached to her mother. In the sense that infants “realize” things, the little girl knows that her mother is the source of all her security. These feelings have a very clear sensual nature. The little girl loves to be close to the mother, to be stroked by her, to have her mother clean her genitalia, etc. She associates her masturbation with the pleasant sensations she receives, psychologically and physically, from her mother.
Around three years of age the little girl becomes aware of her growing attachment to her father. His tenderness toward her and his play with her stimulate her whole being, and her sensuality becomes increasingly attached to him. At first she is not aware of the conflict in this attachment, but as her little mind becomes a bit more aware of reality she senses, however vaguely and incompletely, the fact that her increasingly sensual response to her father has put her into competition with her mother; another woman has a prior claim on her first man! At this point she begins to develop hostile feelings toward her mother.
The whole thing seems too fantastic! A little child competing with her mother for her father’s love? Impossible!