The Great Gatsby Psychoanalysis

Gatsby’s misguided efforts to win Daisy's affection are a result of a psychological struggle to fulfil the desires of his id. However, his inability to reconcile these desires with the unfortunate reality of the situation trigger subconscious mechanisms that further distort his perception of reality. It is through a psychoanalytic lens that one is able to analyze the foundation for Gatsby’s flaws and explain his eventual psychological and spiritual resolution as a tragic hero.

Gatsby’s conflicted psyche, more specifically, his inability to satisfy his desire for Daisy, illustrates that an id untempered by the reasoning of the ego will eventually lead to a person’s demise. Dr Christopher L. Heffner describes the id as the unconscious part of

This manifestation of Gatsby’s unattainable desires is a freudian defense mechanism known as sublimation. Dr. Christopher L. Heffner describes sublimation as the act of satisfying an impulse with a substitute object in a socially acceptable way (Defense Mechanisms). As stated previously, Gatsby’s subconscious is driven by impulsivity and a lack of regard for the consequences. As a result, his id desires Daisy, but the reality of the situation is much less optimistic. This conflict between Gatsby’s fantasy and reality, or his id and ego, forces him to displace his emotions into another activity, that in his eyes will bring him closer to her. Fitzgerald writes, “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths-so that she could ‘come over’ some afternoon to a stranger’s garden” (78). Gatsby’s displaced emotion is clearly exhibited in his over-the-top attempts to win Daisy’s affection through material wealth. However, because of the immense effort put forth into this sublimated activity, Gatsby has tragically put his entire existence in Daisy’s hands. Fitzgerald

For example, the stifling heat of chapter 7 emphasizes the brewing tension that culminates in Gatsby’s confrontation with Tom. As Nick hopped a train earlier that day, he exclaimed, “The next day was broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer” (114). But as he went to return a lady’s fallen pocket-book, despite having “no designs upon it” Nick noted, “every one near by, including the woman, suspected me just the same” (115). This subtle undertone of unease permeates through the whole chapter, and foreshadows the coming explosion between Tom and Gatsby. From an archetypal perspective, summer holds symbolic connotations of romance and liberation, but also naiveté, and as the summer comes to a close, so does Gatsby’s futile love for Daisy. As he pleaded with her to leave Tom, Fitzgerald writes, “He began to talk excitedly to Daisy… But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away” (134). His final attempt to persuade her to leave Tom is a climactic failure, which results in a shattering of his five year long dream. This unpleasant, albeit, necessary event furthers Gatsby toward his psychological and spiritual resolution because he becomes disillusioned with his obsession with Daisy. This disillusionment is further emphasized by Fitzgerald’s use of