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Where's the Love?




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The novel, "The Great Gatsby", offers many different lenses, or perspectives, for its readers. A powerful and prominent perspective in the novel is the psychoanalytic lens. Through this perspective, the reality of the characters emotions and feelings is revealed. Most of, if not all, the characters in the novel are in some kind of romantic relationship. There's Gatsby with Daisy, Daisy with both Gatsby and Tom, Tom with Daisy and Myrtle, Myrtle with Wilson, Nick with Jordan, and so on. However, these relationships are not for love, but instead, are for concealment and status. The characters use their romantic relationships to facilitate the repression of psychological wounds. The novel's characters all share the common trait of the fear of intimacy. A compelling example of this fear, is shown in the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. In the analysis article, the author says "she married Tom to keep herself from loving Gatsby, to whom she had gotten too attached for her own comfort:" (Tyson 41). This quote portrays Daisy's fear as her relationship with Gatsby became more serious. Due to her attachment and love for Gatsby, Daisy marries Tom because he is the safer option, in which she knows there will be no chance of her falling for him. By doing this, Daisy is able to distract and conceal herself from her feelings for Gatsby. Also, Daisy is aware of Tom's infidelity, therefore she knows that no true relationship can form. On the other side of the relationship, Gatsby is also experiencing the fear of intimacy. "Daisy is merely the key to his goal rather than the goal itself...attainment of wealth and social status." (Tyson 47). This quote displays that Gatsby pursued Daisy only for wealth, power, and a higher status. Secondly, Gatsby uses their relationship in order to repress the memories of his past in which he was unhappy due to the poverty that his family had experienced. Also, during all those years that Gatsby focused all his energy on getting Daisy back, he was able to conceal himself off from other women, therefore avoiding any intimacy. In all, the novel is a big mess of fake love.

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