Christopher Nolan uses very abstract ideas to explain ideas about the theories of Freud and Hobson. The director perfectly nails it with Freud theory of the latent content. Mal reoccurs in Cobb’s subconscious because he feels guilty about death of his wife. He should feel guilty; technically he drove his own wife to commit suicide. Having Mal reappear in Cobb’s subconscious emphasize the guilt of Cobb’s actions. Also, by having Mal also ruining Cobb’s operations every time he enters his subconscious also demonstrate how he cannot let go of Mal. Mal can also symbolize the resentment he feels towards her. In the scene Mal tells Cobb that she wrote a letter to the attorney saying that she was not mentally stable and she was in feared for the children
