Term Paper on "Gordon Gekko Psychoanalyzed"

Term Paper 6 pages (2170 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

character from a movie, Gordon Gekko from Wall Street (Stone, 1987) from the psychoanalytic perspective of Dr. Sigmund Freud. This paper will pair several quotes of Gekko with the appropriate handicap. In particular, this will illustrate Gekko's two personality disorders: Antisocial Personality Disorder and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

This will close by summarizing these faults and then and presenting an opinion of how well these theories describe the person in question. In addition, the appropriate therapeutic approach will be followed by a couple esteemed quotes to enhance a better identification.

Introductory Quotation

Psychoanalysis comprises several interlocking theories concerning the functioning of the mind. The term also refers to a specific type of treatment where the analyst, upon hearing the thoughts of the analyzed (analytic patient), formulates and then explains the unconscious basis for the patient's symptoms and character problems. Unconscious functioning was first described by Sigmund Freud, who modified his theories several times over a period of almost 50 years (1889-1939) of attempting to treat patients who suffered with mental problems. In the past 70 years infant and child research and new discoveries in adults have led to further modification of theory. During psychoanalytic treatment, the patient tells the analyst various thoughts and feelings. The analyst listens carefully, formulates, then intervenes to attempt to help the patient develop insight into unconscious factors causing the problems. The specifics of the analyst's interventions typically include confronting and clarifying the patient's pathological defenses, wishes and guilt. Through the analysis of resistance (unconscious barriers to treatment), and transference to the analyst of expectations, psychoanalysis aims to unearth wishes and emotions from prior unresolved conflicts, in order to help the patient perceive and resolve lingering problems (New World Encyclopedia, 2008).

Introduction

Using Freud's psychoanalytical approach, and the incorporation of which therapeutic approach should be employed in concern to the psychoanalysis of Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street (Stone, 1987) will be twofold: 1) diagnosis, and 2) practical therapy. First, point out the evident faults; next, create a conscious awareness of these faults and determine a means by which to work around these obstacles.

Dr. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytical approach is fundamentally set around human behaviors and purpose. More than that, his approach incorporates the study of human psychological as well as sociological; first and foremost, humans are a social breed of mammal. Based upon that, from A Glossary of Psychoanalytic Terms and Concepts (Moore), here are the three applications of Psychoanalysis:

a method of investigation of the mind and the way one thinks; a systematized set of theories about human behavior; a method of treatment of psychological or emotional illness.

With this in mind, Gordon Gekko is now set to experience Dr. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytical approach. From this following quote alone, within the film a duality of psychoanalytical constituents becomes evident:

"In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms: greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind" (Stone, Wall Street, 1987)

From the view of the capitalistic mindset, this quote beautifully splices two rather evident perspectives together: it takes that perspective of the individual, the independent laborer who must make the utmost priority in watching out for the "I," and then straddles that fine line between the better benefit of the group. Humans are social; we all only benefit optimally by working together; humans benefit only through interactions with other humans; humans need humans to build such fortresses and provide for those 2.5 million corporate stockholders, right along with all companies and businesses in general. However, Gekko solely advocates the view of the individual while complete disregarding that of any collaborative effort. This is a red-flag to signal psychological disorders.

"A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. It is a legal entity owned by individual stockholders" --Gordon Gekko, Wall Street (Stone)

Let's start with the most apparent, Antisocial Sociopath Disorder. This illustrates absolutely no regard for the concerns of others; people with this affliction will do anything to acquire self-satisfaction and feelings of self-entitlement with no respect for how their actions affect any other person. An antisocial sociopath is completely indifferent to others around him or her. This person operates under a regime completely unfamiliar to social behaviors, including lying, cheating, and stealing. The conduct of these people goes well beyond any social norm of acceptable behavior, and purely in order to get ahead. Personality disorders typically begin in childhood, and then progress over time into rigid personality traits, obstructing social abilities and acceptable functioning when relating to other people. However, everyone can understand and recognize selfish behaviors, even selfish behavioral patterns, but this does not indicate that a person is becoming, has become, or may become an antisocial sociopath; one with this disorder can identify symptoms from childhood. Surely Gordon Gekko carried this affliction from an extremely early age, too.

"Greed is good" (Stone, Wall Street,1987)

Like a puppet, not alcohol but greed in this situation pulls the strings motivating Gordon Gekko to operate by this handicap of a tunnel focus. Yes, this personality disorder is prevalent in alcoholics just as well as what we commonly perceive as spiteful, calculative, and manipulative materialists. Another alcoholic feature shared by Gekko, particularly the greedy antisocial sociopathic feature of this character, rests in his complete lack of self-identification; antisocial sociopaths bring a sense of self-denial of any of this self-absorption. As much a paradox that this seems, due to the self-sacrifice he perceives because of self-denial, Gekko is so consumed in the self that he executes all his decisions with a complete lack of self-identification.

"It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply transferred from one perception to another"

-- Gordon Gekko (Stone, Wall Street,1987)

In fact, U.S. citizens have a reputation throughout the world as clones of Gordon Gekko, as a money-hungry, cut-throat, callous crowd interested in nothing more than worshipping the sanctity of the almighty dollar. But this blind generalization is inaccurate. Fallacious, rather. Synecdoche, or fallacy of composition, is a figure of speech in which a single part is used to represent the whole; however, to go into that mindset would be to invalid one fallacy by creating another, encouraging that only a capitalist can understand so as to validate the reasoning of a capitalist. Getting back to the point here, however, Gekko works under an antisocial sociopathic routine.

Again, the antisocial sociopath disorder is the most apparent disorder of this character. In detailing how Gordon Gekko portrays the Antisocial Sociopathic qualities, Dr. Robbins conveys these characteristics immaculately:

Antisocial Personality Disorder: These people generally have no regard for the rights of others; they are exploitative, they see themselves as better or superior, and are very opportunistic. They are deceitful, steal from people around them, and often have trouble with the law. They frequently engage in fraudulent activities, make very good 'scam artists', and tend to be irritable and impulsive. They often come in as a savior for a church, for example, and end up stealing everything. They generally have no remorse. Conduct disorder as a child often morphs into antisocial personality disorder. Examples include the Mafia 'Dapper Don' John Gotti, or Tony Soprano in 'The Sopranos'. TV shows such as Dateline or 20/20 are replete with stories revolving around antisocial personality disorders (Robbins, 2005).

Gekko also displays features of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Understood and commonly underplayed as vanity or conceit, this personality disorder dictates that the narcissist is right, while everyone else is wrong. If an object, ideal, occasion, etc., does not benefit the narcissist, then it is of no worth. We can all think of people who fit this ideal. We all bring these traits to the table, but the difference between a person with either of these clinical disorders and the rest of the "normal crowd" is that we identify these traits; any person with this clinical disorder cannot. In a nutshell, let us allow Dr. Lawrence Robbins to provide another bit of enlightenment:

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: This is less common, and the people see themselves as being above others, they are grandiose, have a lack of empathy, and they feel self-important. There is a true sense of entitlement. They may be very vain and constantly require admiration. They are envious, arrogant, exploitative, and can be very angry. Examples include General George Patton, Nicole Kidman's character in the movie "To Die For," Michael Douglas' character, Gordon Gekko, in the movie "Wall Street," Kelsey Grammer's character in "Frazier," and the… READ MORE

How to Reference "Gordon Gekko Psychoanalyzed" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Gordon Parks the Photographer Term Paper

Gordon Parks American Gothic (1942)

The mid-twentieth century saw African-American life undergo tumultuous change. Slaves as they entered the previous century, black Americans were increasingly struggling to achieve pride, identity… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (869 words) Sources: 1 Topic: African-American / Black Studies

---

Gekko Consulting and Recruiting Will Be Active Term Paper

Gekko Consulting and Recruiting will be active as an organization recruiting individuals for placement in one of the client companies, matching these individuals to the opening position specifications that these… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (551 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Business / Corporations / E-commerce

---

Edward Gordon Craig Term Paper

Edward Gordon Craig: The Master Designer

Theater is an impermanent art, yet the name of Edward Gordon Craig lives on. Not so long ago, the idea of a designer being… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1708 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA Topic: Theatre / Opera / Play

---

Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood Term Paper

Gordon Wood's The Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin

More than 200 years after he lived, Benjamin Franklin remains an enigmatic figure. He has been revered as a patriot and one of… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1142 words) Sources: 1 Topic: American History / United States

---

Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart Term Paper

Fee, Gordon D. & Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. New York: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1993.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1612 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Religion / God / Theology

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>