The Great Gatsby

Anyone who hasn’t read The Great Gatsby has most likely seen it. Fitzgerald, born into modest circumstances but later mingling with the elite, was deeply intrigued by the opulence and indifference of the wealthy. These observations inspired Gatsby, the tale of a man who acquires wealth through dubious means to win a woman symbolizing privilege and glamour.

Yet, many adaptations tend to celebrate Gatsby's luxurious lifestyle rather than the tragedy beneath. The dazzling world of affluence and ambition Fitzgerald critiqued often appears aspirational to modern audiences.

What does a voice "full of money" sound like, as Fitzgerald described? How might psychoanalysis deepen our understanding of Gatsby’s desires and his tragic fall? This is what I will discuss in today's video.

Literature:
Fitzgerald, F. S. (2019) Der große Gatsby. Translated by J. Ellsworth. Gebundene Ausgabe edn. Hamburg: Nikol Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG.

Bourdieu, P. (1986) ‘The Forms of Capital’, in Richardson, J.G. (ed.) Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. New York: Greenwood, pp. 241–258.

Mathews, G. (2021) ‘Reflections of Jay Gatsby, the Invisible Psychoanalytical Hero: An Exploration of Freudian Psychoanalysis in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby’, International Journal of Current Advanced Research, 10, pp. 23894–23896.

00:00 Introduction
01:50 Story Line
03:20 The Myth of Success by Discipline
06:17 The Glorification of Gatsby
07:42 Psychoanalysis of Gatsby
09:48 Daisy's Character
13:37 Old Money vs. New Money
15:24 The End