Fetishism Reflected in Sam Mendes’s American Beauty

Abstract

This study described the fetishism of the main character in Sam Mendes’ American Beauty by using psychoanalytical analysis. The analysis was focused on the fetishism conducted by the main character, Lester. The main data was taken from the work entitled American Beauty, while the supporting ones were derived from some related books, English journals, and other sources on the internet. Data were collected, categorized, and analyzed before they were presented in a discussion. The writer used descriptive-analytic techniques to analyze the collected data, and the analysis was focused on the factors that make Lester become a fetishist and the effects of his fetishism on his life and family. It was found that Lester’s id has the biggest role in causing his fetishism. Lester’s fetishism is controlled mostly by his needs to fulfill his physical and psychological needs. Lester wants to fulfill the sexual pleasure that he cannot get from his wife, Carolyn.