What is object-relations theory and what does it have to do with literary studies? How can Freud's phallocentric theories be applied by feminist critics? In this book, the author answers these questions, offering students an overview of the subject. In the first section Minsky outlines the fundamentals of the theory, introducing the key thinkers and providing clear commentary. In the second section, the theory is demonstrated by an anthology of seminal essays which include: "Feminity" by Sigmund Freud; "Envy and Gratitude" by Melanie Klein; an extract from "Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena" by Donald Winnicot; "The Meaning of the Phallus" by Jacques Lacan; an extract from "Women's Time" by Julia Kristeva; and an extract from "Speculum of the Other Woman" by Luce Irigaray.