After I was done reading the chapter on psychoanalytic criticism, I’ve made up my mind that much of what Doctorow says, and tells about in Billy Bathgate comes from reality and from his dreams. Much of what Doctorow talks about in the book makes me believe that in a way he is living through Billy. I think that all of the dangers of being affiliated with the mafia, and talking risks left and right is something that Doctorow wishes that he could have had the chance to do. Whether he came up with this idea in a dream or while he was awake is a mystery. In an informal way, and not great detail, Bressler even says that, “many times writers come up with ideas in their dreams.
Another major thing that I have picked up on in Billy Bath gate is the way that Doctorow describes Billy’s sexual encounters as a child through the eyes of Billy as an adult. I feel that the only way Doctorow could have thought of all these things is if this happened to him as a child and he’s thinking back to it and remembering what happened to him, and using it for Billy Bathgate. This also brings me back to a point that I read about Drew and how Billy interacts with her. He basically is fighting over her with his father unconsciously, which is pretty weird if you ask me. Billy is always looking for time in which its just the two of them and he can show her how much he loves and cares about her. His father though never catches wind of this, and Billy I believe is just a cover up for what Doctorow was really like as a child.
Freud is basically the leading person when it comes to psychoanalytical analysis. He is the capatainm of the whole thing. From his readings I have made my conclusion that Billy was for sure just a kid to have around for really nothing other than enjoyment in the small gang. Dutch Schultz is the head of the whole thing and what he says goes, and Berman is the one who holds it all together. After revieing Bresslers chapter on psychoanalysis I have made up my mind that Billy is actually Doctorow, and some of it is reality, and some of it is dreams.
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2 comments:
I think your statement about Billy Bathgate seeing Dutch Schultz as a father figure, and then as a threat because of his relationship with Miss Drew is right on the money. Freud's Oedipus Complex is very right infront of the reader's eyes. I personally didn't pick up on it, or maybe it didn't sink in, till I read your post.
I like what you said in your post. I didn't clue in to the relationship with Miss Drew in my analysis of the Freud chapter, but instead focused on just Dutch and Billy, and the way their "unconscious and conscious" forces drive them to be the characters they are. I personally feel that Billy "might" think of Dutch as a father figure, but I think Billy thinks of Dutch as more of a hero or superstar.
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