H. Marshall Leicester, "Newer Currents in Psychoanalytic Critisim and the Diffrence It Makes: Gender and Desire in 'The Miller's Tale'"

Leicester, Marshall H. Newer Currents in Psychoanalytic Criticism and the Diffrence "It" makes: Gender and desire in "The Miller's Tale". EHL: A Journal of English Literary History. 1994. Vol. 61 Issue 3 pp. 473-499.

Leicester begins by citing an interpretation of the myth of Medusa that Freud analyzed in which he pointed out the realization of the "little boy" that he will be castrated for stealing what is the "older man's". Using this Leicester mentions that one could read this into Absolon and to an extent Nicolas. Leicester goes on to explain Lacanian theory and symbolism, particularly of doiors. He draws attention to the fact that the Miller is one who likes to "break down doors" and how the Miller breaks both class "doors" and sexual "doors". He then begins to discuss the Oedipal nature of the tale as well as the implications of virility. Alison is set up as an object of desire, something in the story that ultimately doesn't matter so long as she is there for the men to compete over.
The article got very obtuse very quickly. It could be confusing to those unfamiliar with psychoanalytic theory.