On the basis of five case histories the author comes to the following conclusions: the loss of a parent actuates the Oedipus complex. The castration complex is revived and anxiety and inhibitions appear. The substitute parent becomes the object of the negative attitudes which had been latent towards the dead parent and the surviving parent is looked upon as a traitor, particularly if this parent was the object of the child's positive attitudes. The stepparent is concomitantly considered a trespasser. If the child has been strongly identified with the deceased parent he will feel discarded together with the latter and this will invariably affect the child's character development. In the case of females whose mothers have died this may be a factor in the development