Freud highlighted the concept of the devouring mother as a major hindrance to healthy human development, emphasizing the overprotective nature that can impede a child's growth and independence. This pattern can lead to the child remaining infantile and struggling to separate from the mother figure. The tale of Hansel and Gretel serves as a metaphor for this dynamic, with the stepmother symbolizing a disruptive force leading to the children being enticed by the witch in the gingerbread house, representing the devouring mother figure who aims to consume and control the child.