The paper at hand will focus especially on Piagets second development stage: the preoperational stage, which covers children around the age of three. Subsequently, the character of Jay Gatsby will be analyzed. Does Gatsby act like a three year old boy, and in how far does this affect his reality?
One question, answered in the conclusion is, if it is possible to analyze Gatsby only considering his egocentrism, and is Piaget is the right theorist to use as a base. In how far can Gatsby be reduced to only one of his attributes?
The most important literature that will be used is the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitz-gerald, as well as three publications written by Piaget: Meine Theorie der Geistigen Entwicklung (eng. My Theory of Mental Development), Possibility and Necessity Vol. 1: the Role of Possibility in Cognitive Development, and Theorien und Methoden der Modernen Erziehung.(eng. Theories and Methods of Modern Education). Those three publications are used, because they are primary literature, as well as relevant to the topic, since they cover almost everything needed for this term paper.
This literature and such more will first give a definition of what the preoperational stage includes, especially focusing on the egocentrism, which will then build the base for the character analysis.
By analyzing Gatsby’s character I want to ascertain his obvious egocentrism.. All in all I believe, that Piaget is a start to analyze Gatsby’s psyche. He is not the usual theorist used for character analysis, since he focused his research on children. Yet, I believe Piaget is the right choice for this topic. I chose him as the foundation of the paper, to point out Gatsby’s inner child.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Piaget’s Model of Cognitive Development Stages
2.1 An Introduction to the Theory
2.2 The Sensorimotor Stage
3 Jay Gatsby’s Egocentrism
4 Conclusion
5 Works Cited
Objective and Thematic Focus
This academic paper explores the psyche of the character Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" by applying Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, specifically focusing on the preoperational stage. The primary research question investigates whether Gatsby’s behavior and reality-construction can be effectively analyzed through the lens of childhood egocentrism and whether such a psychological framework is appropriate for an adult character.
- Jean Piaget’s model of cognitive development stages.
- Characteristics of the preoperational stage, including egocentrism, animism, and finalism.
- The role of "enchanted objects" and self-constructed reality in Gatsby's life.
- The relationship between childhood intuition, lying, and adult personality traits.
- The limitations of applying child-centric psychological theories to adult literary characters.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Jay Gatsby’s Egocentrism
Gatsby is first mentioned in Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby on page eight, where the yet unknown protagonist Nick Carraway describes him as follows: “Gatsby turned out alright in the end” (8). Considering, that Gatsby’s end in this novel is fatal, opens the question, what the protagonist means by saying “turned out alright” (Fitzgerald 8). In any way there must be an evolution of Gatsby’s personality – affecting his way of seeing things (the separation of thoughts and reality)?
When Carraway actually meets Gatsby, Gatsby “thought … (Carraway) knew,” (54) that the person he is talking to, is the host of the party. His egocentrism makes him not understand, that other people do not know, what he knows. Therefore he forgets to introduce himself at the beginning of the conversation.
Going to Gatsby’s parties, and meeting different people, Carraway also gets to hear different versions of what people believe Gatsby’s past to be (55, 67). Finally, when Carraway and Gatsby meet outside of one of Gatsby’s parties, Gatsby asks Carraway “what’s your opinion of me, anyhow?” (71), and then swears to tell Carraway “God’s truth” (71). Reading further on, Gatsby’s ‘truth’ is revealed to be a lie. Yet, parts of this lie are close to the truth: “educated at Oxford” (71) may not be accurate, but he did go there for five months (135). A justification might be Piaget’s theory, that states, that children believe, the more reality there is in a lie, the less shameful it is (Piaget Theorien und Methoden der modernen Erziehung 182).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the novel "The Great Gatsby" and outlines the methodology of applying Piaget’s cognitive development theory to analyze the character of Jay Gatsby.
2 Piaget’s Model of Cognitive Development Stages: This section details Piaget’s structural approach to mental development, providing a theoretical foundation for understanding cognitive stages from sensorimotor to formal operations.
2.1 An Introduction to the Theory: This subsection provides a concise overview of Piaget's cognitive stages, emphasizing the fixed order of development and the transition through various phases of intelligence.
2.2 The Sensorimotor Stage: This subsection examines the early development of cognitive schemes and specifically delves into the preoperational stage, focusing on egocentrism, animism, and artificialism.
3 Jay Gatsby’s Egocentrism: This chapter applies the previously established psychological concepts to Jay Gatsby, analyzing his social interactions, his fabrication of the past, and his reliance on objects to sustain his personal reality.
4 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, concluding that while Piaget provides a useful starting point for analyzing Gatsby's "inner child," his theory is insufficient to fully explain the complexity of an adult’s psyche.
5 Works Cited: This section lists the primary literary and theoretical sources used throughout the paper.
Keywords
The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, Jean Piaget, Preoperational stage, Egocentrism, Cognitive development, Animism, Artificialism, Childhood psychology, Character analysis, Literary criticism, Mental development, Intuition, Lying, Reality construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic work?
The paper examines Jay Gatsby's personality through a psychological lens, specifically testing whether Piaget’s developmental theories on childhood egocentrism explain Gatsby's adult behavior.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the construction of personal reality, the role of lying in the preoperational stage, the significance of symbolic objects, and the lack of empathy in egocentric behavior.
What is the central research question?
The author asks whether it is appropriate to analyze Gatsby as an egocentric "three-year-old" and if Piaget’s theory provides an adequate basis for understanding his adult psyche.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The author utilizes literary analysis of Fitzgerald's text combined with a comparative study of Jean Piaget’s publications on mental development.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body defines Piaget's stages, explains the mechanics of childhood egocentrism (including animism and finalism), and applies these definitions to Gatsby's interactions and lies.
Which keywords define the scope of this study?
Essential keywords include The Great Gatsby, Piaget, Egocentrism, Cognitive development, and Character analysis.
How does the author relate the "green light" to Piaget’s theory?
The author interprets the green light as a form of "animism," where Gatsby attributes intentional, meaningful qualities to an object to bridge the gap between his desires and reality.
Is Gatsby’s tendency to lie purely explained by Piaget’s theory?
No, the author concludes that while Piaget helps explain the "intuition" and self-centeredness of his lies, Gatsby's complexity—and his move toward believing his own lies—suggests a deeper level of trauma beyond childhood development.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Marie H. (Autor:in), 2014, A Piagetian Reading of "The Great Gatsby". Gatsby's Character and Augmented Reality, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/282245
