In “My Oedipus Complex,” Larry recalls events from his childhood. A soldier in World War I, Larry’s father is rarely at home, making him little more than a stranger to his five-year-old son Larry. Over the course of his father’s extended absences, Larry develops a daily routine of waking up with the sun, talking to his feet (aptly named Mrs. Left and Mrs. Right), and climbing into his mother’s bed. Larry and his mother spend their days pleasantly by running errands and attending mass, where they pray for the safe return of Larry’s father.
Larry wakes up one day to find that his father has returned for good, but he immediately finds the man less appealing when he sees him out of uniform. The next day, Larry’s father complies with his wife’s request to take Larry for a walk through town. Larry throws a series of quiet tantrums when his father does not stop to admire railways and horses, following his own separate interests instead. That evening, Larry’s father shares stories from the paper with Larry’s mother, leaving Larry to feel as though his father is playing dirty by outsourcing interesting material for conversation. That night, Larry asks his mother if God would answer a prayer to return his father to the war. Larry’s mother tells him that God would not answer this prayer, as it is bad people, not God, who make wars. Larry goes to bed disappointed, thinking that perhaps God is not as big a deal as people make him out to be.
The next morning, Larry goes to his parents’ bed. Appalled by the amount of space his father takes up, he kicks his father to make room for himself. Larry is upset when his mother cuts him off in an effort not to wake his father, and he becomes convinced that he and his father are unable to live under the same roof. That evening, Larry’s mother requests that Larry refrain from waking his father in the early morning. She explains that Larry’s father must have sufficient energy to work since he is no longer eligible to receive an army pension. Larry reluctantly agrees, but ultimately returns to his parents’ bed and kicks his father awake. After Larry throws a fit and talks back to his father, he receives a half-hearted spanking that leaves Larry livid and his mother heartbroken.
Reaching his limit, Larry delivers the ultimate blow to his father, announcing to his parents that he plans to marry his mother and have multiple babies with her. Larry’s mother informs him that a baby will be coming along soon. Larry enjoys the reality of the baby far less than he had predicted. Frustrated with newborn Sonny’s constant crying and need for attention, Larry passively communicates his annoyance to his father by pretending to talk to himself, threatening to leave the house at the prospect of another baby. Larry notices that his father has begun to treat him nicely. Larry feels a sense of pity toward his father and sympathizes with his situation, having gone through it himself. One evening, Larry is jolted awake when he finds his father lying next to him in bed, attempting to escape Sonny’s cries. Larry comforts his father, urging him to put his arm around him. Soon after, his father buys him a model railway for Christmas.
