Gatsby's Character - Can't repeat the past? - LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE HL

Gatsby's Character - Can't repeat the past?

2/15/2018

Blog Post: Write a blog post that answers the question below. Be specific with your response and use quotations for support. As this is a blog post, you do not need write in formal paragraphs, but ensure that you are analysing and offering your own opinion throughout the post. Use the quotation provided to begin your analysis, but feel free to reference any section of the book for further support. You may choose to draw from both passages to support your ideas about Gatsby's character.

Question: What type of character has Fitzgerald created in Gatsby? How does Gatsby's character help to develop larger themes in the novel?

Passage One
Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair.
“We’ve met before,” muttered Gatsby. His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand.
“I’m sorry about the clock,” he said.
My own face had now assumed a deep tropical burn. I couldn’t muster up a single commonplace out of the thousand in my head.
“It’s an old clock,” I told them idiotically.
I think we all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor (69).

Passage Two
"He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: "I never loved you." After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, after she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house -- just as if it were five years ago.
'And she doesn't understand,' he said. 'She used to be able to understand. We'd sit for hours--'
He broke off and began to walk up and down a desolate path of fruit rinds and discarded favors and crushed flowers.
'I wouldn't ask too much of her,' I ventured. 'You can't repeat the past.'
'Can't repeat the past?' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you can!'
He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand.
'I'm going to fix everything just the way it was before,' he said, nodding determinedly. 'She'll see.'
He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was..." (88).

14 Comments

Kent

2/18/2018 20:57:19

Fitzgerald has created someone that represents the human potential during the 1920's society. Although Fitzgerald had written the book during the 1920's, the theme could be generalized even to this day. There will always be corruption within the set of rules we have created as a society. The idealistic view of achieving wealth, which results in a high social status has always been everybody's dream. That remains to this day, although the glorification of this idealism was very extreme during the early 1920's, as opposed to now when we are more educated and aware of the different people who live and how the world works. Fitzgerald may be critiquing the unnecessary load of standards that people envisioned back then. The consequence of this unhealthy way of life was moral corruption, which Gatsby has been characterized to symbolize. Gatsby is first portrayed as someone who is gratified for his achievement of the "new money", and is indulged in his own success, although as the book progresses, Gatsby's level of confidence seemed to slowly decrease, at least in the eyes of Nick Carraway. From this we can see that Nick is representative of Fitzgerald's eyes, a giant step out of the cluster to get an overview of what is happening. Gatsby had used Nick, from which Nick eventually ran away from. This can be symbolistic of Fitzgerald moving out of the country during his career. Gatsby, in conclusion may exemplify, not the un-achievability of the "American Dream", but the extent to which it is corruptly fulfilled, by the very powerful inhabitants of white America.

Kaori

2/18/2018 23:20:41

Fitzgerald has created a character obsessed with the idea of perfect reality in Jay Gatsby; the "perfect reality" being the achievement of the American Dream. Gatsby, who has managed to acquire sought out wealth and new money status through bootlegging is still not satisfied, as he yearns greatly for Daisy whom he believes is the key to the completion of his American Dream. Gatsby's desperation for Daisy and the American Dream is apparent when he stands with his "hands in still his pockets", "reclining against the mantlepiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease". The act of putting his hands in his pockets appears very collected and self-assured, as should the move of reclining against a mantelpiece; however Fitzgerald describes Gatsby's action as a "strained counterfeit of perfect ease", the words "strained" and "counterfeit" exposing how Gatsby is faking his cool to try and hide his nervousness. Gatsby's inability to stay calm during his encounter with Daisy represents his build up of anticipation for his ideal reality that he is so desperate to obtain. Gatsby's fixation for the American Dream is exemplified further when he catches the falling clock. The mantelpiece clock, which symbolizes Gatsby and Daisy's time spent together in the past, is "defunct" because they have not met since five years ago, thus time on the clock, as well as Gatsby's image of Daisy, has halted since they last met. Instead of letting the broken clock fall and break, Gatsby catches it, unable to let go of the broken past as he clings on to the no longer existing conception of Daisy, who he desperately needs it to be real for the sake of his American Dream. Despite all of Gatsby's efforts to achieve his American Dream, he is killed before he does, and with this pitiful conclusion Fitzgerald is critiquing not only the falsity of the American Dream, but also the futility of perfection that we humans so eagerly strive for. Gatsby dies chasing for this impossible notion of perfection — of perfect status, perfect family, and a perfect society where all honest effort is rewarded — otherwise known as the American Dream. However the very character who is supposed to represent the virtue of the American Dream is immoral; the very character who is supposed to represent the glamour of the American Dream is never content with his life. With this, Gatsby serves as Fitzgerald's reminder that ideals are not reality, that corruption will always exist, and that perfection is not what we should strive for.

Ayano

2/19/2018 00:10:24

Fitzgerald uses symbolism to show Gatsby’s character. It is shown in passage one that there is an old clock that had stopped at Gatsby’s house. The clock symbolises Gatsby’s past about Daisy. Nick says that they “all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor” showing that they all thought that the ideal image of Daisy is broken in Gatsby. When he tips the clock, he “caught it with his trembling fingers, and set it back in place.” This shows how Gatsby is wanting to protect his past: the image of an ideal life with Daisy. Passage two supports the idea of Gatsby relying about his past. When Nick says to Gatsby that he “can’t repeat the past,” Gatsby “looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand,” and says he is “going to fix everything just the way it was before.” Gatsby strongly denies that the past can not be repeated, as Gatsby is dreaming about his dream of his past, an ideal life with Daisy. The past lurking in the house shows why Gatsby is trying to protect everything that represents the past in his house, such as the old clock. The way he says fix shows that he is dreaming of the past, and thinks that the present is not “right”. This is because it is not like Gatsby’s ideal life, and he thinks that his ideal life is what Daisy will want too. This shows how Gatsby is an egoist, by showing that he is doing everything for his ideal life. This criticizes the idea of the American Dream as Gatsby is illegally making money for his own ideal, while the people in the Valley of Ashes are working hard legally for their family.

Satoki

2/19/2018 07:46:58

Through the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald has created a character symbolizing the American society in the 1920’s, desperately trying to achieve the American Dream. This is Gatsby himself. Gatsby’s desperation is seen in chapter 6 where Gatsby meets Daisy. “In a strained counterfeit of perfect ease”, Gatsby is very nervous, meeting and talking to Daisy for the first time in a while. Gatsby then leans against a mantle piece, tipping a “defunct” “clock” off of it. He luckily saves the clock with “trembling fingers” and puts it back on the mantelpiece. This scene, first thought to be representing Gatsby’s love for Daisy, and his clumsiness as a result of the love, can be said to be more about Gatsby’s desperation for the American Dream, which includes Daisy herself; the perfect partner for Gatsby, the person who completes his American Dream. In the scene, he is frightened that his dream will be shattered by just a small misstep in his actions, and the “strained counterfeit of perfect ease”, shows his frightened approach towards the situation. The “defunct mantelpiece clock” symbolizes the American Dream itself, and the fact that his fingers are “trembling” when trying to save the clock emphasizes his desperation for the American Dream. Furthermore, as this clock that he has saved is “defunct”, this shows that the American Dream is fake, broken, and that Gatsby is trying to save something that almost isn’t real, conveying the achievability of the American Dream. Fitzgerald has manipulated his character to convey the unachievability of the American Dream and the American society, a society that is desperately trying to achieve this unachievable American Dream.

Mirei

2/19/2018 09:07:54

F Scott Fitzgerald creates the character of Gatsby to portray the corrupt society of America in the 1920s.
In the early stages of the novel, Gatsby is seen to be glorified through the description of his character. He is described as a wealthy, powerful and hardworking man with a mysterious past. Later on in the novel, the portrayal contrasts from before as Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as a character that is indulged in his imaginary persona of being successful and wealthy. It is later revealed that Gatsbyʻs wealth comes from immoral reasons as his true job is revealed, and the audience understands that he makes money by having connections with illegal businesses.
He blindly chases after Daisy for the purpose of completing his imaginary fantasy of himself achieving his dream, rather than wanting Daisy for love. As he incredulously cries “Canʻt repeat the past? Of course you can”, it is evident that he is too deeply caught up in the fantasy of his ideal life, and so he is in denial of the idea of having anything being in the way of achieving his dreams that he has worked tremendously on for years.
Gatsbyʻs desperate, delusional nature for success is created to criticise the idea of the American dream, and the society that condones the idea. The American dream and the society having unrealistic visions of their futures also shows how immoral activity is encouraged to achieve dreams with high expectations. Gatsbyʻs character suggests that success is virtuous no matter the cost or the method to achieve it.

Krysta Nishizawa

2/19/2018 12:31:13

Fitzgerald creates a reflection of society's obsession with perfection and success and it’s corruption through Gatsby. Gatsby is glorified through the first 3 chapters of the novel to be a person in society with wealth and the new money status. While Nick sees Gatsby to be extremely successful, Daisy is the missing piece to the perfect life dreamed and created for years by Gatsby. When the reunion happens, Gatsby for the first time is described to act like a normal human being and not a perfect illusion. Gatsby is anxious to reunite with someone who once meant everything to him and also is the last piece to him achieving his “dream”. Gatsby tries to act collected but fails due to nerves. Gatsby has “his hands still in his pockets” in attempt to look slick, while “reclining against the mantelpiece strained counterfeit of perfect ease” struggling to make his position seem effortless. Through glorifying and describing Gatsby to be perfect up till this point in the novel then conveying a more naturalistic side of him, showing that he is not the image he portrays, Fitzgerald exposes the hoax of the unachievable American Dream. Gatsby can be seen as a success story of the American Dream with his lavish lifestyle known to the community through his extravagant parties every weekend, but when looking at him closely, you see that he is an illusion of success and is no different than others in the society obsessing and craving for perfection and success in life. Although through Nick’s perspective he is a success, Gatsby is not satisfied as he has not achieved his unrealistic expectations of what a perfect and successful life looks like. He also did not achieve the American Dream through working hard but by getting dirty money in comparison to Wilson who is working hard but can not achieved the American Dream exposing the unfairness and corruption of society. The theme, especially society's obsession with perfection and success, is still relevant today and not only in 1920 when the novel was written. Through Gatsby, the theme of society's obsession of perfection, success, and illusion as well as corruption is developed and Gatsby is a constant reminder to the reader that the American Dream and the ideals / expectations that surrounds the American Dream is unattainable and unrealistic.

Michelle

2/19/2018 12:39:29

One of the greater themes in The Great Gatsby is the idea that the American Dream is not real, but more specifically it is not fair. This can be represented the best by looking at the character Gatsby and how Fitzgerald created his character to truly resemblance the fault in the American Dream.

When Gatsby went through a awkward situation with Daisy, “Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets…in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease…”. The word counterfeit means fake, so we can imagine that it is a very awkward atmosphere these two are in, yet he still wants her to be apart of his dream even if she is not what he expected in real life. This can be seen when Gatsby “caught [the defunct mantelpiece clock] with trembling fingers”. Defuncts means that it is broken, and this broken clock symbolism Gatsby and Daisy’s broken or stopped relationship. Since the clock hasn’t moved in years, perhaps 5 years the exact time Gatsby and Daisy has last seen each other, their relationship hasn’t progressed then, and it is broken and cannot be fixed. But even with a broken relationship, Gatsby still catches it and puts it back in place as if there is still a chance. But it later then reads “I think we all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor”. Nick is narrating this line however it could be the very discreet way of saying that they wish it had since the idea of it has been thought of by everyone. Overall, the clock is broken therefore Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship is unobtainable, yet when Gatsby caught the clock he is still trying to chase what cannot happen. The American Dream is making him chase something he can never have due to it being defunct or no longer existing. It shows that the American Dream is fake, and when it’s even achieved it’s never going to live up to their expectations. Fitzgerald wrote this book almost like its a message to warn people not to fall into this trap of hope, that the American Dream is more an image rather than a lifestyle and is expressed greatly from Gatsby.

Kohsei

2/19/2018 23:36:20

To some extent I do feel sympathy towards Gatsby. He's been chasing the love of his life for years yet still faces a constant barrier that Fitzgerald creates which makes this impossible. Along with critiquing how money was earned during the 1920's, Fitzgerald also uses Gatsby to expose segments of the American Dream that are pointless and impossible to achieve. Through this novel we do understand that a lot of shady and immoral business goes on to make money. Gatsby's effort to join Tom and the "old money" is met sadly with the idea that he can't achieve it. Before in Gatsby's party we discussed about how he "bewitches" his food in order for his guests to believe that it is expensive and "authentic" however, possibly Gatsby is only tricking himself into believing this hallucination called the American Dream. "Repeat the past... Of course I can" is a key phrase which shows how Gatsby is only focused on emulating the past. The methods he takes to earn the current "new money" position may questionable too so Fitzgerald may be exposing how immoral activity furthers individuals away from achieving the dream. Gatsby's death at the end may be a act of justice as Gatsby went through various malicious activities in his life.

Aitor

2/25/2018 22:49:02

Fitzgerald creates a man persistent to achieve that which he has conjured to be his American Dream.

Initially Gatsby's yearning for an impossible woman hints at his truly unachievable and unreal dream: "He knew women early, and since they spoiled him he became contemptuous of them, of young virgins because they were ignorant, of the others because they were hysterical about things which in his overwhelming self-absorption he took for granted." Even with being given what every man wants Gatsby wasn't satisfied, he began to take for granted the women that threw themselves at him. The word "spoiled" brings a negative connotation, that women too often relinquishing their bodies to him was somehow bad in his eyes. Furthermore, he has contempt for virgins, and non-virgins. Essentially, he is unhappy with all girls on the planet and is unable to find happiness with them because he is too absorbed in himself and finding one suited for his future unattainable dream. However, because he has ruled out all girls, we see that it is impossible for him to achieve his dream as no one girl can fit the requirements he has conjured up in his head.

Apart from not having a girl to achieve his dream with, the dreams themselves are too large to achieve under symbolic constraints: "The most grotesque and fantastic concepts haunted him in his bed at night. A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while the clock ticked on the wash-stand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor." The expressions "fantastic" and "ineffable gaudiness" comprise the outlandishness of his dreams and how difficult they are to put into words, as in, making them concrete and on a foundation of reality is impossible. Next, the ticking clock and moon symbolise the time constraints and natural world ceasing the possibility of him achieving his dreams. The whole quotation itself reads in quite incoherently without commas, "...the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes...", or at least in such a way that sounds dreamy.

Finally, the dreams are connected to unreal beings: "For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy's wing." The dreams are stated to be the outlet of his imagination, as in, his "unreal" conjurations that can not be realised in real life, are his dream and end-goal. Also, the "rock of the world" being founded on a "fairy's wing" is highly symbolic. His rock, his reality, is being held upon a frail, light, and fictitious fairy's wing. If the wing somehow becomes unsettled, his rock falls and his reality falls apart.

Anda

3/5/2018 12:01:41

As in the chapter 6, Fitzgerald described Gatsby as ambitious and always move forwards and never give up easily. I feel like as Gatsby grew older he's lost those ambitions since he took the easier and immoral way to archive his American dream, since he kind of noticed that it will never happen, no matter how hard he's trying. (This is linking back to the chapter 3 about Vally of Ashes.) Anyways, I feel that James Gatz are more indicated and more committed to his goals and life more than Jay Gatsby. ""

Selin

3/14/2024 18:36:02

Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream and the path of corruption that it leads by creating the character Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a delusional and a perfectionist man who is seeking for his American Dream. He has held this belief ever since he was young. He didn't accept his family as his own since he was 'a son of God' and they couldn't reach his high standards. The change of name from James Gatz to Jay Gatby stands for the beginning of the American Dream.

Gatsby works hard and finds a way to become rich and famous in society. Soon after he was introduced to the readers, he is described as a man of mysteries that arise the interest of everyone. He is depicted like a shining star with his own secrets. He wants Daisy and wants her to become a part of his since she is the missing part of his American Dream. In the eyes of Gatsby, Daisy is more like a goddess that serves Gatsby his fulfilled dreams.

Gatsby gets very anxious when the time to meet Daisy for the first time after five years comes. This can be interpreted as his uncontrollable desire to complete his dream and reach his goals. The defunct mantelpiece clock represents the long time that passed from their last meeting. Moreover, Gatsby loses the track of time and the life stops and loses its meaning after Daisy. This might as well be the reason why the clock doesn't work. The clock being old and broken supports this view, furthermore indicates their damaged and 'old' relationship. Gatsby tries to catch the falling clock because he needs Daisy for fulfillment and believes in their chance of being together after five long years.

Gatsby gets so near to his dreams that he gets lost in his hallucination. He imagines and plans a perfect future with Daisy. This view completes his perfectionist attitude and refers to his 'unreal reality'. He believes that he can change and repeat the past in heart. This again refers to his dreams filled with hallucinations and desperation to accomplish the American Dream. Gatsby is stuck in the past as the old defunct clock and always tries to correct it. This is another critique of the American Dream by Fitzgerald.

In the end Gatsby is murdered before he can reach the American Dream. Fitzgerald points out the of American Dream by using Gatsby's death. The society is filled with immorality, sought after unreal dreams and a huge demand to be among the rich and famous.Fitzgerald creates a character which represents the iconic 1920's complete attitude towards life and criticizes them with The Great Gatsby.

Chun

3/15/2024 03:39:14

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's one of the most popular works, "The Great Gatsby," the character of Jay Gatsby stands as a symbol of the American Dream, a testament to both its appealing and fleeting nature.

In the first passage, we glimpse Gatsby's facade of confidence, carefully constructed to impress Daisy, the object of his obsession. His feigning indifference, proven by his reclining posture against the mantelpiece and forced laughter, shows his desperate desire to appear composed and prestigious in Daisy's presence. However, the subtle details in his gestures show his true feelings, such as his trembling fingers as he fixes the clock and his rigid posture upon sitting down. This juxtaposition between Gatsby's outward facade and inner disarray can be seen in many chapters of the book that go into exploring Gatsby's character.

The second passage delves deeper into Gatsby's psyche, revealing his outworn longing to reclaim a past that has long since slipped away. His consistent efforts to try and return to a time when he and Daisy were together clearly indicates his belief in the possibility of reclaiming what has been lost in the past. This idea was also reinforced by Nick, through his text as follows "recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy."

Gatsby's character is the vessel that author uses to make his critiques and pass on the main theme of the book, most notably the corrupting influence of the so called “American Dream” and the fleeting nature of happiness. His relentless pursuit of the “American Dream”, also fueled by his desire to win back Daisy, ultimately leads to his downfall. Despite his materialistic success, Gatsby remains unfulfilled, even when Gatsby is surrounded by a bustling crowd, such as when he throws his signature parties, we can sense the profound loneliness of Gatsby through Fitzgerald’s subtle hints. Fitzgerald's portrayal of Gatsby exposes the emptiness at the heart of the “American Dream”, challenging the idea that wealth and social status go hand to hand with happiness and fulfillment.

Moreover, Gatsby's fate serves as another critique about the dangers of living in the past and the impossibility of recapturing what is lost. His refusal to accept the passage of time and move forward ultimately leads to his demise. Through Gatsby's character, Fitzgerald underscores the theme of the inevitability of change and the importance of embracing the present rather than dwelling on the past.

In conclusion, through Gatsby's character, Fitzgerald explores themes of ambition, love, and the fleeting nature of happiness, opening the readers eyes towards the illusory nature of the “American Dream”, conveying the dangers of clinging to bygone days, while also criticizing the state of the world during that time that was fixated on materialistic success.

Erva

3/15/2024 04:20:57

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby, the character of Jay Gatsby is a complex and interesting figure who plays a critical part in creating the novel's bigger themes. Gatsby is an cryptic character, covered in riddle and dream, which reflects the novel's investigation of the American Dream, disillusionment, and the emptiness of the upper class.

All through the novel, Gatsby is depicted as a self-made man who has amassed a fortune through questionable implies, all within the interest of his misplaced cherish, Daisy Buchanan. His idealized vision of Daisy and his past serves as a driving force behind his actions, revealing his sentimental and to some degree naive nature. Gatsby's faithful conviction within the American Dream, in spite of its unattainability, highlights the frustration and vacancy that plagues the novel's world.

Fitzgerald employments Gatsby's character to investigate the subject of the American Dream and its debasement. Gatsby's interest of riches and social status, driven by his want to win Daisy's adore, uncovers the emptiness of the American Dream. His awful conclusion underscores the inconceivability of genuinely accomplishing this dream, because it is built upon unsteady establishments of riches, control, and shallow associations.

Additionally, Gatsby's optimistic identity contrasts strongly with the critical and ethically vague demeanors of other characters, such as Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. This differentiate serves the novel's investigation of the detachment between the idealized American Dream and the unforgiving reality of the American society amid the 1920s.

In conclusion, Fitzgerald's creation of the character of Jay Gatsby within The Great Gatsby is fundamental to the improvement of the novel's larger themes. Gatsby's puzzling and optimistic nature, as well as his appalling interest of the American Dream, uncover the disillusionment and emptiness of the upper lesson within the 1920s.

AFO

3/15/2024 15:21:22

The Great Gatsby is indeed a masterpiece. Fitzgerald has done everything he can to represent the era he was living in. He showcases the both sides of the American Dream. The successful part and the unsuccessful part. We clearly can see this juxtaposition among the pages of the book. It is either given with the contradiction between the West Egg and the East Egg or with the status difference between the rich and the poor. However without the star of the book, Jay Gatsby, the book would be uncompleted. All the juxtapositions and contradictions or even the beautifully detailed descriptions would be meaningless without the existence of Jay Gatsby.

Jay Gatsby -or with its original name James Gattz- is one of the best examples for the American Dream. Since his life as a teenager he has always hated the life he was living. This hate -later becoming an obsession- has lead to him to deny his past and create a new one. This hate for his past and craving for a future that fits the American Dream got even more fired up when he met Daisy. His already corrupted mind became even more obsessed when he met Daisy and fell in love with her. It got even worse after they had to seperate their ways and after he learns that Daisy got married. His obsession for both the wealth of the American Dream and the love of Daisy got mixed and he started to see Daisy as a part of "his American Dream". That's why he started to see his wealth as a tool to reach out Daisy, his American Dream.

We clearly know that his longing for Daisy was unbearable. His sayings about "repairing the past" or "repeating the past" clearly shows us that he believed that he wouldn't be feeling great if he doesn't obtain Daisy. His obsession for Daisy and his hang up in past led him to try every possible way in order to regain the happiness he had. This has led him to make great wealth by fraud. However since he already was a liar this wealth only brought him more and more fakeness. We even know that he has fake empty books in his bookshelf in order to look rich.
This fake characteristic that he stays to protect gets messed up when he meets Daisy again. In the first passage we clearly can see that no matter how calm he tries to look from the outside he is shievering and trembling in the inside. This actually is a reflection of his fake personality. His fake personality breaking down can be seen in the other parts of the book like when he is talking to Nick about his past. Yet none of them are as clear as this part. Since he is so close to achieveing his American Dream he does not want to mess up. Just like a psychological crisis his obsession is actually affecting his body. His craving is at its strongest forcing him to take action as soon as possible in order to re-obtain Daisy. We also see the strength of his obsession after he loses Daisy again. He gets so affected that eventually he gets sick and dies.

With Gatsby's obsession, Fitzgerald actually showcases two things. The first one is how obsession and stucking up in the past can destroy one's life. These lead to an infinite state of unsatisfaction no matter what. However this also showcases the scary truth behind the capitalist system and the American Dream. Since Gatsby has never achieved his American Dream his craving has got stronger and stronger. Even though he has such a great life he never even thought giving up on Daisy and trying to live his life. Fitzgerald shows us this while he also shows us the places like Valley of Ashes in order to reveal the meaningless hunger behind the American Dream. While some are suffering from poorness the ones who chase the American Dream never get satisfied from the status they are in even though they know that many are in a situation that is way too worse.

In conclusion, in the book "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald both writes a love story and a criticsm of the American Dream and the society that he was living. Gatsby itself plays a key role for this goal. Literally completing the book with his characteristics and his past.

Blog

Gatsby's Character - Can't repeat the past?

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories