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The Great Gatsby is No Love Story Essay

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The Great Gatsby is No Love Story

Many argue that F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is an example of the "great American love story", but it is not. The Great Gatsby is not a tale about perfect love; it is a tale of love and lust corrupting individuals in their lives, and of an American dream that is never fulfilled. Throughout the story, we follow multiple relationships, but focus is on the single relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. This relationship, however, fails to fulfill many requirements that would make it a true love story, and thus, while some hardship is to be expected, this relationship encounters an excessive amount. To determine if The Great Gatsby is a "great American love story", it is necessary …show more content…

These criteria for a great love story, however, are simply not filled by Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, for several reasons. Gatsby makes sacrifices in his life while in pursuit of Daisy, but he is not simply giving up parts of his life for her - he changes who he was, and his inner personality, becoming a member of higher society so that he feels worthy of Daisy's love. This story also refuses to illustrate a complete whirlwind of incessant love, such as we should be finding if the novel were a true "great" love story. Although Daisy does claim to love Gatsby, she also refuses to admit that he is the only man she loves (140), and it is difficult to accept this as true love if it is not exclusive. They allow the want for money and power to drive them apart for years, and while Gatsby constantly thinks of means to finally raise enough money that they can live happily, this is foiled. Gatsby and Daisy do feel a love for one another, but it is not always out of pure motivations, and it is not strong enough to keep them together. A "great American love story" requires a commitment and a passion that is not apparent in Gatsby or Daisy, and therefore it is not such a story.

As imperfect as Tom and Daisy's love is, Gatsby does illustrate love of the idea of Daisy, and this compels him to alter his life. He

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