Gordon, Paul, 1951- . Dial "M" for mother : a Freudian Hitchcock / Paul Gordon. 9780838641330 (alk. paper) series Madison, N.J. : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, c2008.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1998.3.H58 G67 2008

Gordon, Paul. Dial "M" for Mother: A Freudian Hitchcock. Cranbury, NJ: Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp., 2008.

Chapter: “Sometimes a Cigar is Not Just a Cigar: Shadow of a Doubt”

     Gordon’s book examines Hitchcock’s works from a Freudian perspective. This chapter focuses on the Oedipus complex and how it is portrayed in Shadow of a Doubt. Gordon argues that Uncle Charlie is the perfect example of a man with a deep rooted Oedipus complex. He is consistently referencing his youth and his mother when speaking with his sister and also finds a mother-like figure in both his sister and his niece. He also needs to attack everything paternal, from Joe to the bank. The bank is authoritative, much like a father. This explains the scene that Uncle Charlie causes when he visits the bank. Additionally, this is why he murders the widows. He sees them as mother figures, and thus seduces them. Then, due to his repression of this disease, he murders them.
    When answering the question of dualities, Gordon completely undermines every other critic has said. He thinks that every other critic has it wrong, and that they are not twins, but their similarities are a “function of the Oedipal complex.” Gordon argues that Uncle Charlie has a romantic attachment to his niece. He gives her a ring, thus marrying her and becomes jealous of her relationship with the detective. Even in the final act, he seduces her by grabbing her hands to stay on the train, much like he seduces the widows. Then, he attempts to murder her, just as he murders the widows. Additionally, Gordon believes that critics have overplayed the fact that young Charlie kills her Uncle and in that act, displays the same murderous qualities that her Uncle possesses. Gordon argues that this is not in fact the case. He says that young Charlie does not kill her Uncle. She does not push him out of the train. She tries to save herself by pushing herself back onto the train and the exertion of her pull back up pushes her Uncle out.
    Although this is a creative, strong and well-supported argument, I am not quite sure how much I support it. I do believe that Uncle Charlie has a major Oedipal complex, and that it explains his fixation on his childhood, the ring he gives to his niece and the scene he causes in the bank. Additionally, I agree that it is very possible that young Charlie does not purposefully kill her Uncle. However, I do not think that Uncle Charlie feels an attraction to his niece. I think that the relationship is weird and not that of a normal Uncle and niece, but I do not think we should jump to the conclusion that there is a romantic attraction. I think it is more about being an identical twin. Twins become jealous of each other easily and can sometimes loose a sense of self. I believe that this is the jealousy that Uncle Charlie feels and one of the reasons he tries to kill her.