Paternal metaphor

paternal metaphor (mÈtaphore paternelle) When, in 1956,

Lacan first begins to discuss the tropes of METAPHOR and metonymy in

detail, the example he takes to illustrate the structure of metaphor is a line

from Victor Hugo's poem, Booz endormi (Hugo, 1859-83: 97-9). This poem

retells the biblical story of Ruth and Boaz; while Ruth sleeps at his feet,

Boaz dreams that a tree grows out of his stomach, a revelation that he is to

be the founder of a race. In the line which Lacan quotes - 'His sheaf was

neither miserly nor spiteful' - the metaphoric substitution of 'sheaf' for

'Boaz' produces a poetic effect of SIGNIFICATION (S3, 218-25; see S4, 377-

8; E, 156-8; S8, 158-9). Paternity is thus both the theme of the poem (its

content) and also inherent in the structure of metaphor itself. All paternity

mvolves metaphoric substitution, and vice versa.

    The phrase 'paternal metaphor' is introduced by Lacan in 1957 (S4, 379). In

1958, he goes on to elaborate the structure of this metaphor; it involves the

substitution of one signifier (the Name-of-the-Father) for another (the desire of

the mother) (see Figure 13; E, 200).

    The paternal metaphor thus designates the metaphorical (i.e. substitutive)

character of the OEDIPUS COMPLEX itself. It is the fundamental metaphor on

which all signification depends: for this reason, all signification is phallic. If

the Name-of-the-Father is foreclosed (i.e. in psychosis), there can be no

paternal metaphor, and hence no phallic signification.

Name-of-the-Father Desire of the Mother A

                                    ï                                         a Name-of-the-Father

   Desire of the Mother    Signified to the subject                                         Phallus

Figure 13 The paternal metaphor

  Source: Jacques Lacan, Ecrits, Paris: Seuil, 1966.