Gatsby’s death meaning in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is portrayed as a passionate man in love. Gatsby apparently tries his best working hard his whole life to gain money and the woman that he loves, Daisy. Despite all good things Gatsby has done in the story, Fitzgerald makes Gatsby die at the end. However, Gatsby’s death is actually a good escape and a happy ending for himself in The Great Gatsby because his dream about a happy life with Daisy can never come true. First, Gatsby’s obsession with his past is just a delusion. Therefore, his death’s meaning represents those who only live in the past cannot make their dreams come true. Nick notices about Gatsby that Gatsby “talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that …show more content…
he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (Fitzgerald 110). Gatsby’s present existence is built by his memories in the past. Though Gatsby is living in the present with his overnight parties and wealthy guests, his mind belongs to the past. Undoubtedly, Gatsby works hard in the present because he wants to “recover” the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy in the past back to him. Even when Nick tells Gatsby that he cannot repeat the past, Gatsby still holds a strong conviction himself: ““Can't repeat the past,” Gatsby replies, “Why of course you can” (Fitzgerald 110). Under Nick’s narrative voice, Daisy’s practicality in her decision is revealed. In contrast, Gatsby draws a delusion about his happy life with Daisy and believes he could repeat the past. He believes he could make his relationship with Daisy return as the way it was before the war. That belief is based on the foundation of Gatsby’s confidence that his current wealth and social status would attract Daisy. Gatsby’s delusion portrays his immense love and intense determination to gain Daisy back. Furthermore, Gatsby’s intense love for Daisy is not equivalent to Daisy’s superficial love for Gatsby. Therefore, his dream would never come true. Undoubtedly, Gatsby’s death escapes himself from obsessing with his unrealistic dream. Moreover, Gatsby would never totally gain Daisy because Daisy values different ideals than Gatsby, in which she values stability and wealth.
After Gatsby rises into the upper class, he buys his house in West Egg “so that Daisy would be just across the bay" (Fitzgerald 78). Specifically, Gatsby’s house is bought in order to stay closed with Daisy and to make her notice him. Indeed, Gatsby’s action demonstrates that he puts his relationship with Daisy in priority because love is what he values. In contrast, what Daisy values is money and wealth. After Gatsby left for the war, Daisy soon made her final decision to marry Tom Buchanan, a wealthy nobleman, because “she wanted her life shaped now, immediately— and the decision must be made by some force—of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality - that was close at hand” (Fitzgerald 151). Daisy could not wait for Gatsby because she wants her life to shape permanently. For Daisy, love is the thing that she can use for her luxury and comfortable life. Undoubtedly, Daisy does not idealize her life like Gatsby idealizes his love for Daisy, but Daisy focuses more on practical values. While Daisy values stability and wealth, Gatsby values love and memories. Even before Gatsby dies, he still does not realize that Daisy is not worth his admiration. Therefore, his death escapes Gatsby from chasing into something which is not worthy for
him. Last, the difference between Daisy and Gatsby’s social classes will never make Gatsby’s dream come true. On the first day Gatsby came to Daisy’s house, when he was still a penniless officer, Gatsby was fascinated by the house because he “had never been in such a beautiful house before. But what gave it an air of breathless intensity was that Daisy lived there—it was as casual a thing to her as his tent out at camp was to him” (Fitzgerald 148). The inconvenient tent outside Gatsby’s camp cannot be compared to the beautiful house Daisy lives in. By using the imagery of Gatsby’s indigent tent to Daisy’s luxurious house, the difference between Gatsby and Daisy’s social classes is highlighted excessively. That contradiction gives Gatsby “an air of breathless intensity,” the shiny house where the person that Gatsby loves lives overwhelms him. Even when Gatsby rises up to the upper class, the difference between them still exists. In his conversation with Nick about Daisy, Gatsby says: “"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood it before. It was full of money - that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. … High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl” (Fitzgerald 120). When Gatsby admits that Daisy’s voice is “full of money,” Gatsby understands himself that Daisy already belongs to another world. The “white palace” represents East Egg, a city for people who are already born with wealth; unlike West Egg, people are new to wealth. While Daisy is “the king’s daughter” because she was borned in a wealthy family, Gatsby becomes a wealthy man from his penurious family origin. The money that Gatsby has and Daisy has is not the same. Therefore, despite all what Gatsby did, he would never totally gain the person he loves the most because of their social classes difference. Gatsby’s death represents the fact that his dream has came to an end and his death escapes himself from his unattainable dream. To conclude, Gatsby’s death at first might seem unfair for a man who deeply works hard to achieve his goal; however, it cannot be denied that his death is actually a good escape for the conflicts in the story.
he didn 't want to live the same sad life as his parents,where he had to work just to put bread on the table he wanted more then that ,he want to have a legacy.he saw an opportunity to seek,and he took it .when he help the old man from drowning.Gatsby went through alot in the war and his life but the thing that kept him alive is daisy buchanan, his love for daisy was unstoppable.Gatsby worked hard to make himself one of new york richest people for daisy buchanan.Gatsby does everything he can to conquer Daisy’s heart again.”Although Daisy has been married off to Tom Buchanan,”Gatsby is determined to win her back by displaying his new wealth.Similarly, purchasing a new wardrobe and an expensive home in part for daisy o fell in love with him Not only do Gatsby try to impress women with their wealth, but they equate those women with money” (Pearson). He believes that the only way Daisy will be with him is if he is rich and if has enough money to sustain her.Gatsby would do anything in order to achieve this status that.in order to get enough money in such short time ,he gets his “hands dirty” to be able to live in West Egg and have the ability to throw his very-well known extravagant parties.”There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagne and the stars…
Gatsby is unrealistic. He believes he can relive the past and rekindle the flame he and Daisy once had. He is lost in his dream and accepts that anything can be repeated, "Can't repeat the past…Why of course you can!" (116, Fitzgerald). For Gatsby, failure to realize this resurrection of love is utterly appalling. His whole career, his conception of himself and his life is totally shattered. Gatsby's death when it comes is almost insignificant, for with the collapse of his dream, he is spiritually dead.
...s motivation to reach into Daisy’s heart is the downfall that lead to Gatsby’s persistent nature which concentrate solely the past, Also, emptiness of existence with realization to taint ideal, Gatsby’s heart fill with illusions. As a great man his death overflows with generosity and kindness that people did not notice. The good man Gatsby’s death is a tragic, but in the end it’s another meaningless loss that buried as a lonely hero.
Nothing is more important, to most people, than friendships and family, thus, by breaking those bonds, it draws an emotional response from the readers. Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan had a relationship before he went off to fight in the war. When he returned home, he finds her with Tom Buchanan, which seems to make him jealous since he still has feelings for Daisy. He wanted Daisy “to go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you” (Fitzgerald 118) Gatsby eventually tells Tom that his “wife doesn’t love [him]” and that she only loves Gatsby (Fitzgerald 121). But the unpleasant truth is that Daisy never loved anyone, but she loved something: money. Daisy “wanted her life shaped and the decision made by some force of of money, of unquestionable practicality” (Fitzgerald 161). The Roaring Twenties were a time where economic growth swept the nation and Daisy was looking to capitalize on that opportunity. Her greed for material goods put her in a bind between two wealthy men, yet they are still foolish enough to believe that she loved them. Jay Gatsby is a man who has no relationships other than one with Nick Caraway, so he is trying to use his wealth to lure in a greedy individual to have love mend his
When he first meets Daisy, Gatsby becomes infatuated with his idea of her, or rather, the false persona that she creates of herself. In fact, Gatsby reveals that “she was the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known” (155). Gatsby was so impressed with Daisy mainly because of her wealth and her status; it is what he wants. However, Daisy chooses Tom Buchanan over Gatsby, solely because of his social status. As a result, Gatsby revolves his whole life around her: he becomes wealthy, creates a new image of himself, and buys a house across the bay from Daisy. For instance, he fabricates lies about how “ [he is] the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west” (69) and how “ [he] was brought up in America but educated at Oxford” (69) in order to impress her. These lies end up altering others’ perspectives of him - not necessarily in a positive way - and impacting his life as a whole. Daisy unwittingly transforms Gatsby into a picture-perfect image of the 1920s: lavish parties, showy cars, and a false illusion of the attainment of the American Dream. Despite Gatsby’s newfound wealth and success, he never fully accomplishes his dream: to get Daisy. Gatsby’s final act for the sake of Daisy has no impact on her feelings towards him. When Gatsby claims that he crashed into Myrtle and killed her, Daisy carelessly lets him do so, which ultimately results in his death. To make
“’Did you see any trouble on the road?’ he asked after a minute. ‘Yes.’ He hesitated. ‘Was she killed?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘I thought so; I told Daisy I thought so. It’s better that the shock should all come at once. She stood it pretty well.’ He spoke as if Daisy’s reaction was the only thing that mattered.” Gatsby’s hesitation before asking “Was she killed” means he has bad memories from mentioning murder, especially since he was involved in one. The damage in reputation that this kill could possibly result in is enough to hurt Gatsby, and his achievements will have become worthless. During the part where Gatsby claims that he “thought so; I told Daisy I thought so. It’s better that the shock should all come at once. She stood it pretty well,” Gatsby
Fitzgerald said “Until long after, there was anyone to give it to if it came. I have an idea Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come, or perhaps he no longer cared.” He was referring to Gatsby waiting on a call that he wouldn’t be around to answer. He expresses Gatsby’s death in a very general way and doesn’t give the details, but nonetheless gives the idea of Gatsby being dead. All of the events connected in a way that lead to Gatsby dying at the hand of a confused, revenge filled husband. Gatsby did a lot of things to try and get Daisy and continue his american dream, but they turned on him and played out to his disadvantage. If he never went for Daisy, he would be at home living with so much that he had. He would still be alive. In the end, his American dream demanded more and he asked too much, inevitably killing
Apparently being wealthy is not all Gatsby wants, but also wants love from Daisy. He loves her so much he wants her to break Tom’s heart and come with him. This man is clever and cold hearted like Lord Voldemort and Sauron. Jordan glanced at Nick and told him in a calm tone, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 78). Gatsby’s way of being in love with Daisy is to be a creepy stalker, never giving her space and always spying on her.
For five years, Gatsby was denied the one thing that he desired more than anything in the world: Daisy. While she was willing to wait for him until after the war, he did not want to return to her a poor man who would, in his eyes, be unworthy of her love. Gatsby did not want to force Daisy to choose between the comfortable lifestyle she was used to and his love. Before he would return to her, he was determined to make something of himself so that Daisy would not lose the affluence that she was accustomed to possessing. His desire for Daisy made Gatsby willing to do whatever was necessary to earn the money that would in turn lead to Daisy’s love, even if it meant participating in actions...
What is later revealed is that Gatsby’s wealth and luxurious lifestyle is all in the name of getting Daisy, Tom Buchanan’s wife, to fall in love with him. But in the end, even with all his money and power, Gatsby is not able to get the girl. What this brings to light is, was Gatsby’s money truly worth anything? “I love her and that 's the beginning and end of everything” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter ) This quote from Jay Gatsby shows that his entire life is centered around Daisy. That his only motive for the things that he does, for the massive parties that he throughs, for working to become incredibly wealthy, is to have Daisy fall in love with him. Gatsby’s life is one that is incredibly lavish. It is full of expensive amenities many would only dream of having. But Jay Gatsby is not living this fabulous lifestyle for himself. He is living it for Daisy, and only for Daisy. Gatsby’s only desire in life is to have Daisy be in love with him, and he chooses to live the way he does because he believes that is what she wants. Gatsby spends money at wild abandon simply to make an effort to impress Daisy. He throughs incredibly immense parties, with hopes that Daisy and Daisy alone will be impressed. But what is troubling about Gatsby is that, unlike most books, he doesn’t get the girl. Gatsby is, despite his entire life being dedicated to getting the one thing
...m once — but I loved you too.” (171). It is in this moment of shock that Gatsby realizes that all he has dreamt up for his future was actually his past. On the other hand, Daisy manages to face the reality of life and live in the present. Gatsby’s death is a representation of his failed dreams.
Gatsby hasn’t just lost his morals but also his sense of family because he has created such an elaborate illusion. Catherine scrutinizes the couples of the story, "Neither of them can stand the person they're married to" (Fitzgerald pg 37). The marriage had become very weak when Daisy "had told [Gatsby] that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded" (Fitzgerald, pg 125). More than his morals, Gatsby loses all sense of family, his wealth has metaphorically become it. He relies on his money rather than a family to bring comfort and security to his life. Gatsby takes advantage of his wealth to replace his deteriorated spirit and emotions. As a result of shallow family relationships, all love for that matter becomes based on social status.
Gatsby has an uncanny devotion for the things and people he desires. Gatsby is a poor man who feels that he can win his love Daisy back, if he achieves enough material wealth. When he first meets Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby commits "himself to the following of a grail" (156). After five years of separation, he will do anything in his power to win her love back. Everything he does, up to this point is directed toward winning Daisy's favor and having her back in his life. The greatest example of his devotion towards Daisy is the mansion he constructs, "a colossal affair by any standard...with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden" (9). Once a "penniless young man without a past" (156), he transforms himself into a self-made millionaire and builds an extravagant mansion without having any history of family wealth. He also strategically places the mansion across the lake from Daisy's house. From his window, Gatsby can see the blue colored lights of her house. Even though she is marries to Tom Buchanan and has a daughter, he "revalues everything in his house according to the amount of response it draws from her well loved eyes" (96). But in the end, Gatsby's insurmountable devotion to Daisy won't be enough to win her over. He dedicates so much of his life just to be with her and ultimately it won't make any difference in the long run.
Gatsby is a very loving and caring character in the book. This is shown by his love for Daisy. The love Gatsby shows is young love. Gatsby is stuck in the past where he loved Daisy without doubts or worries. Gatsby thinks since the love he remembers is in the past, he thinks you can repeat the past.
Gatsby also understands that Daisy is a woman of luxury; He realizes that now she is married and he has to put something valuable on the scale, something that will catch her attention, such as vast amount of wealth. Everything that Gatsby does has only one reason behind it—to be closer to his Daisy. Even the house he buys is “just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 85).