The Great Gatsby: The American Dream :: essays research papers

The Great GatsbyThe American Dream          "Their love is founded upon feelings from the past, these give it, further Gatsbys insistence on           being able to take up the past, an inviolability. It exists           in the cosmea of money and corruption but is not of it." The Great Gatsby, a bracing by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the demise of those who attempt to capture its specious goals. For Jay, the hallucination is that, through wealth and power, one can obtain happiness. To draw in this happiness Jay must reach into the past and relive an old dream and in order to do this he must have wealth and power. Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the story, is a character who longs for the past. He devotes most of his gravid life trying to recapture it and, eventually dying in its pursuit. In the past, Gatsby had a love af fair with the beautiful and seemingly innocent Daisy. discerning he could not marry her because of the difference in their social status, he leaves her to accumulate his wealth so that he reaches her economic and social standards. at one time he acquires this wealth, he moves just across the bay from her and her husband, Tom. At this mansion, he throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance that Daisy might show up at one of them. He does not actually attend his parties but watches them from a distance. When this attempt fails, he asks around casually if anyone knows her. Soon he meets ding Carraway, his neighbor and fortunately a cousin of Daisy, who agrees to set up a meeting. Later, during a confrontation in the Plaza Hotel, Gatsby still believes that Daisy loves him. He is win over of this as is shown when he takes the blame for Myrtles death even though it had been Daisy who was driving. He also watches and protects Daisy as she returns home that night after all the transce ndental affairs come unfolded, agreeing to stay all night waiting outback(a) her house if Tom tries anything. Gatsby cannot accept that the past is gone and done with. Gatsby is convinced(predicate) that he can capture his dream with wealth and influence. He believes that he went beyond his personal interest and that should guarantee success. Nick attempts to show Gatsby the stigma of his dream, but Gatsby innocently replies to Nicks statement that the past cannot be relived by saying, "Cant repeat the past?