Loves Outlets. (Mae)

From reading Tyson's Psychoanalytic report on The Great Gatsby, she highlights “fear of intimacy” as a theme for the book. I think that she exaggerates it at some points, taking one-word lines that could be interrupted as a “fear of intimacy” moment and then gives them a deeper meaning. Sometimes Tyson seems right, for instance when she is talking about “neither of them spend[ing] time with Pammy” (pg 43), she concludes, “They don’t stay in one place for any length of time.” After Tyson goes to say that it is because of their “fear of intimacy” that they don’t want to spend time with their daughter. I think that it’s not their fear that drives them in separate directions, but rather a lack of interest. Both of them seem to have outlets; Tom has his mistresses(pg26, 77), and Daisy has the idea of a stable husband(pg 76).

Leslie: What's Love Got to Do with It? Nothing!

Lois Tyson takes a classic "love" story and looks at it through a psychoanalytical lens, explaining once and for all, what makes these characters act the way they do. For example, she perceives Daisy's flightiness as her fear of intimacy, "...the history of Tom and Daisy's relationship suggests psychological motives that point to a different interpretation of Daisy's 'delight' in her husband." (p. 41). Also, "Daisy's low self-esteem, like her fear of intimacy, is indicated in large part by her relationship with Tom." (p.42). The seemingly innocen and whimsical ways of Daisy's actions can be explained psychoanalytically, as can Tom's actions. We all seem to think Tom is just a jerk that cheats on his wife to gratify himself. But Tyson explains that it isn't emotional intimacy or physical gratification Tom is after, but ego gratification, proving to himself and others that he is just as much of a man as the next guy. "...Tom's relationships with women, including his wife, reveal his desire for ego gratification rather than for emotional intimacy." (p. 40). Lois Tyson shows that despite one take on a classic, if you look at it from another perspective, the plot and character's motives can change completely.

Words for Concepts (Milo)

To start, I agreed with Tyson's psychoanalysis of the Gatsby characters. Many of which, I had noticed before reading the essay.
I always though that Daisy was doing everything very specifically, even though she is considered fairly ditsy and shallow as a character. I do have to say though, I think Gatsby's "fear of intimacy" is a bit of a stretch. Not that i think he has oedipal or " petit objet a" syndromes, but Tyson's description of his fear was a bit weak.
I can't say this analysis changed the book for me too much, but it did tell me the definition for what i was noticing between the characters.

Elsa: The Great Gatsby is Definitely Not a Love Story

When we first started reading The Great Gatsby, and "love story" was used to describe the book, it immediately seemed wrong. We read about these characters having quite dysfunctional relationships from start to finish. No one ends up happy, and no one changes their situation to make themselves happy. I agree with this chapter's analysis of each characters own fear of intimacy. What especially drew my attention was the analysis of Myrtle Wilson. Tyson's conclusion of the way Myrtle displays her fear of intimacy seemed like a stretch. It seemed more likely that Myrtle is opportunistic and materialistic rather than afraid of intimacy. Myrtle married Mr. Wilson becasue she thought he was wealthy, not becasue he provided the type of relationship that allowed her to keep some distance.

Justine: Love Has Nothing To Do With It

I agree with Lois Tyson's "What's Love Got To Do It." When I was reading Gatsby, I never thought of the characters as suffering from a fear of intimacy. However, like the the first chapter begins, "whether we realize it or not, psychoanalytic concepts have become part of our everyday lives..." I only thought that the characters just cared about themselves, and it didn't matter who they hurt. Tyson's insights such as: "fear of intimacy in the novel lies in Tom Buchanan's chronic marital affairs," (40) and "Gatsby and Myrtle function... as psychological pawns in their relationship with each other." (46) put some of my thoughts into eloquent, understandable phrases.

Eggs... (Willie)

East and west. Generally these two entities would be considered opposites, just as light and dark, day and night, and yin and yang are. In the context of The Great Gatsby, however, they are not exactly polarized. In fact, they have more in common with each other than one might imagine.

The East Egg of Long Island contains within it old wealth; residing here are families that have had loads of money for likely centuries. The West Egg, on the other hand, is brand spanking new. While still rich, the money has been obtained through hard work, not inheritance. For example, Jay Gatsby, the shady resident of West Egg who throws parties all the time, has obtained his fortune via building a massive alcohol bootlegging business. However, despite the differences in their methods of obtaining wealth they both have similar attitudes towards their wealth. This is reflected in the ways they both spend their money. The folks in East Egg, while not flashy or party-goers, tend to buy themselves horses, yachts, or other things you may imagine nobility purchasing. These are not cheap items. The West Eggers just as well do not tend to be frugal with their money. They will purchase fancy cars, high fashion, and other things you might associate with the roaring twenties.

To me, this points towards simply a difference in the time these two factions are living in. While the book, of course, takes place in 1922, the East Eggers are still living as if it was 100 years earlier. They are not apt to go along with the new changes in society which the West Eggers are taking in with open arms. However, it is my assertion that if you were to place any of those "Westies" in the environment that the "Easties" are still living in, they would get along great and seem almost identical.

Why Did F. Scott Fitzgerald Write This Book? (Willie)

The Great Gatsby could be picked apart for likely one's entire life just to search for hidden meanings and commentaries from F. Scott Fitzgerald, just as most any other novel could. However, with this multitude of messages, it is quite easy to get lost in the frenzy of it all and forget about the heart of the book. So I pose this question: on a fundamental level, what does F. Scott Fitzgerald wish to say his readers in this book?

In short, I would say he wishes to highlight the downfall–or, better yet, failing– of the American Dream, albeit in a very different way than Upton Sinclair did with The Jungle. As opposed to displaying the outright pain of the workers, Fitzgerald focuses on those who got rich from other's pain, a.k.a. prohibition. Jay Gatsby is a bootlegger, someone who illegally runs alcohol through the city. He is also a "self-made" man, truly discovering what the American Dream is. However, Fitzgerald is attempting to show how this "dream" has simply turned into something not actually American, but a thing that can only be achieved illegally. As mentioned earlier, Gatsby also earns his living from other people's pain. Though not as addicting as many other drugs, alcohol does not exactly make for a healthy life, and by illegally selling it, Gatsby hooks others on it, likely sending many into a depressing downward spiral of dependence. Is that what the American Dream is all about? I don't think so.