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In the problem of maternal conflicts, Horney discusses the emotional factors that may disturb a desirable attitude of the mother in her relationship with a child. Early love feelings always have a sexual character that starts at birth, as expressed by the daughter's greater attraction towards her father, and the son towards his mother. The factors of competition
and jealousy with regard to the parent of the same sex are responsible for conflicts arising from this source.
The high emotional charge of the mother-son relationship is usually conscious in the transference of love from the father to the son, and not only are the incestuous sexual elements transferred from the infantile relation to the father, but also the hostile elements which were once connected with them. A certain residue of hostile feelings is inevitable as a result of the unavoidable affects caused by jealousy, frustration and guilt feelings. If the feelings towards the father are transferred to the son in their entirety the son will receive not only the love but the old hostility. Both will usually be repressed. One form in which the love and hate conflict may come out is in an over-solicitous attitude. Some mothers see their children constantly beset by dangers, and are fanatical about their care. In other cases mothers do not touch their sons for fear of injuring them, often giving a nurse exclusive care of the son. Another reason for the over-solicitous attitude of such mothers is the fact that their love has the character of a forbidden incestuous love, and they constantly feel the threat of the son's being taken away from them.
After reviewing well-known manifestations in family life of the Oedipus complex, Dr. Horney points out that another complication in father fixation cases is due to the jealousy between mother and daughter in that mother's own Oedipus situation causes a very strong sense of rivalry.
Girls with particularly strong ties to their own mothers either because the mothe