A Psychoanalysis of Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

Update of 5.13.14 post:

Why this repost?  This is what you can call "a good question".

The Great Gatsby cont'd

For some reason, the movies don't measure up to the book. The book captures more of the characters natures and mannerisms, but the two versions of this, in film adaptations, fail to do this.

The more recent one, with DeCaprio as Gatsby, is even worse. The adaptations change a few things, as I don't recall the part in the book where the character Nick being treated by a shrink. Nor the part where the Gatsby character was in the process of attacking the character Tom before stopping himself from hitting him.

The movie tries to be true to the book but fails. I would attribute it to poor acting and poor casting.

I don't read much fiction, and I probably never would have read this book except for the fact that it was required reading in school.

I remember a paper having been required that answers the question as to what Gatsby's dream was, and why it failed.

I don't recall my answer, but my answer today would be that I don't believe the book, and certainly not the movies. If Gatsby was the type who could fight in a war well enough to be decorated for bravery, and if he associated with gangsters, then he wouldn't be so easy for Tom Buchanan to defeat. I don't buy that. Tom Buchanan was a sheltered dandy just like his wife Daisy. A man of the world, as Gatsby was supposed to be, would be defeated by mere words?

The movie doesn't get good reviews, but the book seems to be well regarded. Why is that? Another one of those good questions.

This video reminds me that there was a remake of the movie The Great Gatsby.  I didn't like the old version of the flick, maybe the new one is better.