The Great Gatsby Psychoanalytic Analysis

“If the external world offers no scope for the satisfaction of the id’s pleasure drives, or more commonly, if the satisfaction of some or all of these drives would indeed transgress the moral sanctions laid down by the super-ego, then an inner conflict occurs in the mind...” (Thornton). Such is the theory of Sigmund Freud, whose work continues to have resounding impact not only in psychoanalysis, but in psychoanalytic criticism of all literature featuring any number of characters. Utilizing Freudian theory, one is able to investigate various ideologies, moreover their impact on various characters and their development. A prime example of such use may be found within The Great Gatsby. By utilizing the Freudian lens to critically analyze Scott
Thus, to fully understand the critical role that this ideology played in the development of characters in The Great Gatsby, it is important to first identify and understand the symbols for the American Dream present in the novel. Firstly, the most popular and most commonly discussed symbol of the text is that of the green light. The green light is a radiant, green beam, shining from the dock of the Buchanan’s from the East Egg, and visible to all those in the West Egg just across the bay. “I… distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away...” (Fitzgerald 25). Naturally, this description is carefully worded such as to foreshadow that despite having the Dream so close that it is within measurable distance, it will still appear miniscule and distant, provoking those who chase it into a mindless pursuit, regardless of the distance between. Moreover, the fact that it is located on a West Egg dock further indicates how many will desire and attempt to grab it, yet only an unrealistic margin of people may actually do so;in the case of this novel, that right was solely belonging to those born into the American Dream. Secondly, the other critical symbol of the American Dream was none other than Daisy Buchanan. Despite her supposed absolute love for Gatsby, when he had
By analyzing The Great Gatsby with a Freudian lens, specifically looking at symbols of the American Dream, as well as several of the main characters such as Jay Gatsby and George Wilson, it is surely proven that the American Dream has no purpose other than causing everyone involved to develop psychosis. Several counter arguments that were not considered include that George may have simply been a religious fanatic and not psychotic and that Gatsby’s id may have been his past due to that being most commonly repressed within the novel. When it comes to George, the argument is rather fair, however according to a psychiatric report “no clear guidelines exist to distinguish between ‘normal’ religious beliefs and ‘pathological religious delusions’.” (Pierre). That, in addition to resorting to murder as well as frantic an irregular behaviour, forms the fact that even the argument of regular religious beliefs would be defined as psychosis under these circumstances. As for Gatsby, while he may choose to repress his history for the most part, those are not his desires in life nor do they oppose the laws of society in any way to contrast the superego, therefore cannot be his id. Moving forward with this knowledge, it is important to reform the American Dream in order to avoid this continuing mental damage so frequently seen. Perhaps it only needs to have the rules be enforced