Analisis Psicologico De Portnoy's Complaint

Formulation Essay for Alexander Portnoy
Leidy M Gutierrez


Two psychodynamic models, Drive Psychology and Object Relations from Winnicott perspective, will be used to make formulations about the “central conflicts” (Perry, 1987) and possible psychopathologies in the character of Alexander Portnoy. Mr. Portnoy; the main character of Philip Roth’s controversial novel Portnoy’s Complaint,decided to come to therapy afflicted by recurrent, almost obsessive feelings of guilt and anxiety. And now, Mr. Portnoy complained of having a somatic sexual dysfunction. During the first two parts of the formulation essay, Mr. Portnoy context and current events will be recounted in order to understand some precipitating situations that might be the cause of Mr. Portnoy’s neurotic symptoms. Part threeof this formulation essay will integrate these events from the psychodynamic perspectives of Drive and Object Relation into “speculative interpretations” of why he is presenting somatic symptoms (Perry 1987). And finally; part four will “predict” (Perry, 1987) Mr. Portnoy’s role in therapy.
Part 1
Mr. Portnoy is a 30 year old single male. He is the youngest son of a Jewish family conformed byhis two parents and his oldest sister. Mr. Portnoy was raised in New Jersey, but he is currently residing in New York City while working as Assistant Commissioner for The City of New York Commission on Human Opportunity. Mr. Portnoy has decided to seek treatment due constant day dreaming about a “possible” suicide attempt of his ex-girlfriend. This event happened during a vacation trip that thecouple made around Europe. Mr. Portnoy recounted they both were having fun and exploring new sexual experiences; but the pressure from his girlfriend to finally commit into a more formal relationship pushed him to end it. Before leaving her girlfriend at a Hotel in Greece, she threatened to jump off the building. Mr. Portnoy ignored her threats and left. Regardless they both were together for a longperiod of time; Mr. Portnoy said he tried to overcome and leave this chapter behind as if nothing had happened; while trying to bury down the idea of his ex-girlfriend jumping off the building.
During therapy, Mr. Portnoy stated he comes from a very traditional family. However; his relationship with his father was never the best. Mr. Portnoy Senior worked long hours and had to commute longdistances to spend a few time with his family. His father orthodox beliefs brought in more tension to the already estranged father- son relationship; ever since Mr. Portnoy declared himself as an atheist. One day, during his teenage years, he said to his parents “Look, I don’t believe in God and I don’t believe in the Jewish religion, or any religion. They’re all lies” (Roth, 1969) when his parentsinquired why he did not celebrate the Jewish holidays anymore. Mr. Portnoy expressed his disappointment comes from finding out his father was not truly compliant with his orthodox life style. While his father banned the whole family to eat pork at home or in presence of other Jews; at the same time, he would allowed them eat pork at Chinese restaurants. Once; when Mr. Portnoy was a young adolescence,he remembered having heard a conversation between his parents just after his father took a female coworker over for dinner. After she left, Mrs. Portnoy confronted her husband if he had slept with her. His father neither denied it nor accepted it. Ever since, Mr. Portnoy blamed his father for not being able to “deal with a woman’s tear” (Roth 1969) and let his mother down.
Mr. Portnoy thinks ofhis father as a man with little accomplishments, who is trying to live through his children, but who is too afraid to live up for his own dreams. Mr. Portnoy recalls thinking that “the way he (his father) chose to talk of his ambitions for me was mostly in terms of money” and his father told him ““Don’t be dumb like your father,” he would say, joking with the little boy on his lap, “don’t marry...