Jay Gatsby was like many of us. He had dreams, goals and aspirations. All Gatsby wanted was to get his dream girl. Social classes did not matter to him. Mr. Gatsby was determined to marry the wealthy Daisy Fay despite being a poor boy. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, later said to Daisy, “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife.” (Fitzgerald 130) Tom was right, Gatsby came from nowhere and he fell in love with a girl that was more affluent than him. Throughout the years, Gatsby had a very clear goal, and he believed that he was going to eventually get his girl. All of Mr. Gatsby's actions allude to the fact that he believed in true love. Gatsby did everything he could to try to get Daisy. He involved himself in the drug business because he so badly wanted to become rich for his girl. Once he became prosperous, Gatsby bought a …show more content…
Gatsby did not believe in what the world believed in, he did not believe in marrying exclusively in one's social class. When Gatsby was with Daisy he didn't think of their differences. He loved her for love, not for materialistic reasons. Mr. Gatsby’s beliefs were not reciprocated by Daisy. Daisy Buchanan had an opposing view about marriage. Daisy believed that one should marry someone in their own class. Although Daisy loved Mr. Gatsby, money was more important to her. Gatsby was Daisy’s original lover, as Jordan Baker told Nick Carraway when recounting Daisy’s and Gatsby’s past, “She was sitting in
Society won’t let Gatsby and Daisy be together when they fall in love because Daisy comes from a family of old wealth, while Gatsby is the son of peasants. “For over a year,” as a young man, “he
The novel The Great Gatsby is set in the 1920’s when people started to change the way that they looked at things. The narrator Nick Carraway tells the story as he was living in a small cottage beside Jay Gatsby’s mansion. Daisy Buchanan is a woman who does not think she should be able to do anything but be a fool for love. Last but least is Jay Gatsby a man who no one really knows but wish they knew. Gatsby was a man who always thought Daisy belonged to him but in reality she was never his to begin with.
“How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught by desire!” Belva Plain, American author of mainstream fiction, believed society cannot be helped when they want something they cannot have. Gatsby, a respectable yet manipulative character in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, loves Daisy and will go beyond what is normal to be with her. Through Gatsby’s decisions and social interactions, Fitzgerald agrees with the idea that desire can lead people into traps like netted birds.
Following the war, Gatsby attempted to receive an education by studying at Oxford. From this point on, Gatsby dedicates him self to gain the love of Daisy back. He did this by acquiring millions of dollars, a gaudy mansion in West Egg, and his extravagant parties. As the group of friends, Nick Caraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, and Jordan Baker, travel into the city, Gatsby and Daisy make their love for each other obvious. Daisy and Gatsby ride in a car, separate from the group, to the city. Gatsby has the belief that Daisy is truly in love with him, and not with her husband. Upon arrival to the hotel, the group began sitting and conversing, when Gatsby tells Tom, “She never loved you.” This is referring to Daisy and Tom’s marriage. This is where a heated dispute begins and Daisy finally explains to Gatsby that, “Rich girls don’t marry poor boys.”
Gatsby has everything that he could wish for, except of love. Gatsby tried everything he could to achieve Daisy, but failed to do so. Gatsby always thought that Daisy actually loved him and that he was very close to achieving her. One time Gatsby showed Daisy all of his luxuries in the house. Daisy was impressed by how rich and wealthy Gatsby has become as time passed. Daisy says “never seen so many shirts like these” (87). This quote shows how Daisy likes materialistic things. Gatsby worked hard on his dream unlike Tom. Tom Buchanan who is the husband of Daisy has no purpose and goal in his life except his affair with Myrtle. He never really loved Daisy. On the other hand when Gatsby showed all of his English shirts Daisy begins to cry and they plan their future plans of meeting each other. We can see how Daisy is attracted to Gatsby simply because of his wealth. She loves Gatsby but she loves his money more then she actually loves him. This goes to show how people’s mentality worked in the 1920’s. Daisy, Gatsby, and all other characters live a very superficial life. Gatsby wants to achieve Daisy by the means of fortune and how Daisy is attracted to Gatsby because of his wealth.
This brings about another face of the argument: does this apply to Daisy as well? Daisy had been pressured to reject Jay Gatsby back during the war since he was a soldier, and short of money. Daisy came from old money, and didn’t see Gatsby as a suitable mate for her solely on his monetary status. But now that Gatsby’s ‘all grown up’ and rich, Daisy’s suddenly in love again.
Daisy stuck with Tom through years of his cheating, and when Nick invited her and Gatsby over so they could meet again, she had another chance. Gatsby did everything he could to become rich and to find Daisy. This meant that Daisy had everything she could have wanted. She had a man who loved her, who was wealthy, and all she had to do was end her marriage with Tom. What Gatsby had was new money, and Tom had old money. “What Daisy requires is not only money but old money. Old money is better than new, not because it can somehow buy more or because they will be more of it, but because it has fashioned the tastes, values, attitudes, matters, and intellects others possessors.”(Lathbury 59). Something about the old money was more valuable and appealing to Daisy, so she gave up Gatsby to be with Tom.
Gatsby’s pursuit began with an unfulfilled dream. A popular belief is that dreams empower people to pursue their goals. This belief is presented in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald illustrates this belief by the way the main character, Jay Gatsby, lives his life. When Gatsby was an officer stationed at Camp Taylor, he had accompanied some officers and went to Daisy’s house (Fitzgerald 148).
Jay Gatsby, while wildly successful in achieving wealth, does not achieve his personal Dream. Gatsby’s bigger goal is to gain respect from the community and reunite with the woman he loved - Daisy. Throughout the novel, Gatsby flaunts his wealth as an attempt to attract Daisy. When Gatsby and Nick are alone at the Buchanan’s house, both agree that Daisy’s voice “was full of money, that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it”, even describing her as a “king’s daughter, the golden girl” (Fitzgerald 65). The imagery and comparison of Daisy to a rich princess living in a white palace reveals how Gatsby views Daisy and places into context the motives behind his wealth based actions. Gatsby believes that Daisy married Tom in pursuit of wealth, and carrying that belief, he utilizes his own wealth in an attempt to win over Daisy. Not only does this show how important Daisy is to Gatsby,
Like Jane, Jay Gatsby lacks the equality needed to rekindle a relationship with the love of his life. However, unlike Jane, Gatsby is already rich and is longing for a true identity with which he can become a prominent figure in society. Gatsby was a Lieutenant stationed at the base near Daisy's home when they started dating and fell in love. Gatsby lied to Daisy and "let her believe that he was a person from much the same strata as herself" (Fitzgerald 156). He told her that he was a wealthy and prestigious man who can take care of her. Gatsby was soon called off to the war and Daisy promised to wait for him. She ends up marrying Tom Buchanan who has a solid social position and the approval of her parents. Since then, Daisy has moved on with her life with Tom in East Egg, but Gatsby's obsession with her has only grown. Nick learns of Gatsby's fixation when Jordan tells him that "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay" (Fitzgerald 83). His fixation with her has caused him to completely change his life to try to be near her. Like Jane Eyre, Gatsby longs for a position of equality with his loved one. When Gatsby was young, he worked on a yacht owned by a wealthy man named Dan Cody. Gatsby immediately fell in love with wealth and luxury, and when Cody died, he
Gatsby does well in the war and he then tries to go back to Daisy but is unable to and is sent to Oxford instead. When he comes back, he is absolutely broke and then he tries to find a job. He shows his selfishness again when he tries to get money. Gatsby meets Meyer Wolfshiem while searching for a job. He ends up getting involved in some shady, illegal business and becomes a bootlegger. Gatsby was so adamant in getting money and rising up in society that he was willing to do whatever it took to get money. His greed and selfishness led him to do illegal things that he shouldn’t have been doing. Gatsby ends up buying a house across from Daisy where he was hoping to reconnect with her again. He again shows his selfishness by wanting to reconnect and rekindle his love with her even though she is already married to Tom Buchanan. Daisy is clearly taken and Gatsby wants her to leave Tom and go away with him since now Gatsby isn’t poor and can provide for her. Even now, he still selfishly hides the truth by lying about his education and not telling the truth about the source of his wealth. He even confronts Tom about his love for her saying “she never loved you. She loves me.” (Fitzgerald 137) Gatsby’s selfishness ends up costing him his life at the very end. He does end up showing some selflessness by taking the blame for the accident even though Daisy was the one driving.
Therefore, when looking at Gatsby’s most impressive traits one thing that pops up is his energetic smile, vibrant personality, and loyalty to those who he respects or cares about. It is important to mention the fact that Gatsby always seemed to make every person feel important and at ease while conversing with him. It was his nature to express courtesy to any guest he came in contact with, no matter how insignificant they were or what their occupation was. As far as loyalty is concerned, it is best represented in his devotion to Daisy Buchanan. With his money and notoriety he could have easily have had numerous love opportunities. He sacrificed all openings for love as he stoked the coals trying to ignite a past flame with a married women. Even when Jay and Daisy’s relationship was over in the readers mind Gatsby still clung to a hope of having a life with her. He loyally stayed at her house to the wee hours of the morning, convinced her husband was a live wire that could erupt and physically punish his wife. This he displayed to a women that is impossible to love anyone but
The character Jay Gatsby the argument that money cannot buy bliss. Mr. Gatsby as a very wealthy young man. Gatsby has a massive amount of fortune that he could by anything that he pleased except for one thing in particular, happiness. With this money Gatsby tries win the back the heart of an old lover, Daisy Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan was related to Nick Carraway, who just happened to be neighbors with Gatsby. Jordan, who was a dear friend of Daisy and Nick’s, was talking to Nick about Gatsby lifelong dream she proclaimed, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). Gatsby bought his large luxurious mansion that was located right in front of Daisy in search for her attention. Gatsby had bought that very immense and expensive mansion just to be close
After the war, Gatsby’s only goal was to posses enough wealth to bring Daisy back. He acquired millions of dollars from businesses he did. “Gatsby bough this house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). His love for Daisy was the only thing that made him the man he was. He was intelligent, rich and even famous, all because of her. He threw big parties were many celebrities went and were thousands of dollars were spent in liquor and food just to call Daisy’s attention. “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night…” (79), recalled Jordan, Gatsby’s friend, one night. All that Gatsby possessed was only and exclusively to show Daisy he could give her the life she wanted.
Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby’s relationship was damaged by their contrasting social classes, but also because he had a lack of status and wealth. In relation to this Daisy married Tom for his wealth and status not for his love, which suggests Daisy is a materialistic character is more concerned about her money and possessions than she is about intellectual and spiritual objects. “Gatsby is an idealist, he seeks for