Jungian Marital Psychology In American Beauty

When thinking about the American dream, one must acknowledge that marriage is one of the most complex and difficult tasks one can undertake. The main goal of most marriages is to procreate—to have a child and a pet seems most common. In Sam Mendes’s American Beauty, Lester Burnham has a wife [Carolyn] and a daughter [Jane], a house in a nice suburban community, and a middle-management position at an advertising agency. He seemingly has everything one hopes for; however, he is utterly miserable: “Look at me, jerking-off in the shower. This will be the high point of my day—it’s all downhill from here” (American Beauty). Aside from work, his time is monopolized by his wife—they drive to work together, they drive home together, they live together, they go out together. Lester and Carolyn’s relationship exemplifies marital psychology, in accordance with C.G. Jung’s observations; however, the mid-life shift in ideals (from “I must” to “I want”) is the opposite of what Jung describes.
As a result of Lester’s unassertive nature Carolyn and Jane think that he is, in the parlance of the film, a loser. Jung’s observation of marital partners contains a description of the psychology of the two partners, with regard to their relationship. He refers to the simpler in nature of the two as the “contained” and the more complex in nature as the “container”:
The one who is contained feels himself to be living within the confines of his marriage; his attitude to the marriage partner is undivided; outside the marriage there exist no essential obligations and no binding interests. . . . The container, on the other hand, who in accordance with his tendency to dissociation has an especial need to unify himself in undivided love for another, will be left far behind in this effort, which is naturally very difficult for him, by the simpler personality. (170)
In the beginning of the film, Lester is the contained and Carolyn is the container. Lester is simply living to avoid any kind of altercation with Carolyn. He makes conversation with Carolyn, to which she responds negatively and disinterestedly:
Carolyn: There is no decision; you just write the damn thing!
Lester: Well, you don’t think it’s weird, an’ kind of fascist?
Carolyn: Possibly, but you don’t want to be unemployed.
Lester: Oh, well, alright let’s just all sell our souls and work for Satan cause it’s more convenient that way.
Carolyn: Could you be a little bit more dramatic, please? (American Beauty)
She disregards the way he feels, claims he is being ridiculous, and then ends the conversation—redirecting the subject to herself. During the first dinner scene, Lester mutters under his breath a comment about the way Carolyn treats their daughter. She screams, “What?” in a rhetorical manner, and when he does not repeat himself she has, once again, proved to be the more powerful (American Beauty). As a result of her perceived ego-consciousness, Carolyn is more complex [in nature] than Lester.
Carolyn, the container, does begin to dissociate herself from Lester. In the same evening that sparks Lester’s transformation—marking the exact opposite reaction to Jung’s idea concerning the mid-life shift in ideals to say “I want” rather than “I must”—Carolyn begins her relationship with rival realtor Buddy Kane. Her extramarital activities that ultimately lead to her being left behind by Lester, the simpler [in nature] of the two. Once Lester knows she is having an affair, Buddy discontinues seeing her to avoid an expensive divorce. Lester is contained by Carolyn, and she by Buddy.
Lester’s metamorphosis is best explained, as are most aspects of this film, by Lester after he is caught masturbating by Carolyn:
Carolyn: Don’t you mess with me, mister. I will divorce you so fast it will make your head spin.
Lester: On what grounds? I’m not a drunk. I don’t fuck other women. I don’t mistreat you. I’ve never hit you. I don’t even try to touch you, since you’ve made it abundantly clear just how unnecessary you consider me to be. But, I did support you when you got your license, and some people might think that entitles me to half of what’s yours.
Carolyn: Oh!
Lester: So, turn out the light when you come back to bed, okay? (American Beauty)
Carolyn pretends she is the victim and asserts her power over Lester by threatening divorce, which backfires. Lester then realizes that he has become the container, the more complex—the one in control. Jung describes the forming of consciousness for a child, with the image of separate islands coming together to form one solid land mass (164). This image is applicable to Lester’s understanding of his relationship with the other people in his life. This is the point when his islands come together to form one solid land mass. He has made it clear to Carolyn where he stands, and he has seen her powerlessness in the face of the “new” Lester. Jung’s description of how one’s ideals shift is the exact opposite of what happens to Lester: “’I want’ becomes the inexorable ‘I must,’ and the turnings of the pathway that once brought surprise and discovery become dulled by custom” (168). From this point on, Lester begins to say “I want” rather than “I must”. He begins to do things for himself, and only himself. He extorts his boss for close to sixty-thousand dollars, he begins running and lifting weights, he smokes pot, and he buys the car he has always wanted.
Lester’s introduction gives the audience the impression that he is living an American nightmare; however, once his ideals shift he begins to live the dream. Jung’s views on marital life are applicable to this film because of his thoughts regarding power in relationships and the moral responsibility of middle aged people. Despite the fact that Lester’s lack of desire to grow more responsible is in direct contrast with Jung’s conception of the mid-life psyche, his analyses are quite useful.


Works Cited
American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perf. Kevin Spacy and Annette Bening. Dreamworks Pictures, 1999. DVD.
Carl, Jung G. "Marriage as a Psychological Relationship." The Portable Jung. New York: Penguin Books, 1976. 163-77. Print.