Julie Kristeva’s Chora

Julie Kristeva refers to the special container formed by mother and child as the chora. She describes it this way: “in the ‘primary maternal’ realm the newborn establishes his initial link with the world based on his powerless omnipotence, whereas the mother contributes the narcissism of her heartfelt passion and her maternal masochism… The ‘libidinal mutual stimulation’ that takes place between mother and baby thus lays the foundation for the birth of the psychic life as well as the reality principle. Put another way the child’s capacity for psychic activity and thought depends on his primary identification with maternal femininity” Revolution in Poetic Language.