In the classic sitcom The Odd Couple, it was amazing that Oscar and Felix got along, because Oscar was such a slob and Felix was so obsessively neat. From a Freudian perspective, what could be said about the way these two men made it through the anal stage of development?
A) Oscar was anally fixated, but Felix was not.
B) Oscar and Felix were both anally fixated, but in different ways.
C) Neither Oscar nor Felix was anally fixated. They just had different personalities.
D) Felix was anally fixated, but Oscar was not.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Freudian theory, the anal stage of development occurs between the ages of 1-3 years old and involves children's fascination with their bowels and ability to control their bodily functions. Anally fixated individuals can either be anal retentive (obsessively neat and controlling) or anal expulsive (messy and disorganized). Based on the characters' behaviors in the show, Oscar can be seen as anal expulsive (slob) and Felix as anal retentive (neat freak), suggesting that they both are anally fixated but in different ways.

In the Classic Sitcom the Odd Couple, It Was Amazing