So, let’s consider the possible structure we outlined for the essay,

In his theory of personality development, how did Freud assume differences between boys and girls come about?

First, order your notes so that they are arranged according to the sections in that proposed structure and according to the main points within each section. The ordering of your notes will be a relatively straightforward task if you have colour-coded your notes according to the colour-coding you gave to the main points in your tentative structure.

Remember that the first main point we identified was providing an overview of the major sources of, and influences on Freud’s theory, highlighting their relevance to a sound understanding of the important features of his theory of personality development. The notes should, therefore, be sure to cover the time period and social climate during which Freud developed his theory of personality and his meeting with people who eventually shaped his theory (such as Josef Breuer and Anna O).

The second point was Freud’s conception of personality, its components and their interrelatedness. We, therefore, need to read our notes to see that they cover the three major components of personality according to Freud, namely, the id, ego, and superego. The notes should include information about each of these components, how they relate to each other, and their role in directing behaviour.

Similarly for the third main point, which was a description of the stages of personality development, according to Freud’s theory, the notes should contain a description of each stage. This would involve outlining the 5 stages (that is, the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages), what happens in each, and how this relates to personality.

The next main point was an important one in this essay. It would explain in detail how and where within Freud’s stage-based theory boys’ and girls’ personality development was assumed to differ, making explicit the consequences for the personalities of boys and of girls of the differences. So, we should be very confident that we have sufficiently comprehensive notes to enable us to deal with this section of the Body of our essay.