Examples Of Dust Fly In The Great Gatsby

597 Words2 Pages

“Gatsby turned out alright in the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams” that destroyed him. To what extent do you agree with Nick’s statement? It is true, to some extent, that the “foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams” destroyed Gatsby, but it is also Gatsby, the creator of his “great” and “incorruptible” dream and the dream itself, that contributed to his demise. The highly judgemental and hierarchal society in which they lived can also be partially to blame, especially as it was upon these values that Tom and Daisy built their values, and the unrelenting society that prevented Gatsby from entering the upper class. Daisy, the “golden girl” and object of Gatsby’s affections, is an …show more content…

Gatsby believed that status could be achieved through gaining monetary wealth, and tried to impress Daisy with extravagant parties and fancy cars, not realising that he could never be a part of the “distinguished secret society” to which she and Tom belonged. Gatsby dedicated five years of his life to work towards attaining Daisy, but as time went on, his vision became increasingly grandiose, and he began loving an idealised illusion of her. Daisy is unable to live up to his expectations, not of her own fault but because of the “colossal vitality of his illusion”. Gatsby, in his feverish desperation to win Daisy, abandons reason and believes that he could revert everything back “just the way it was before”. The rigidity of their society made it impossible for Gatsby to enter the upper class. Mixing between classes was highly frowned upon, so Gatsby tried his hardest to interact with “Daisy’s people”, but ultimately failed, as he was one of the “nouveau riche”, and scorned by the old-money society. The destruction of Gatsby and his dream, however tragic, was inevitable.The moment he “wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath” marked the beginning of his unwavering devotion, as well as the unavoidable death of “the last and greatest of human

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Native Son

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gatsby’s wealth did not bring him happiness nor did it bring him Daisy. Gatsby was so devoted to his love for Daisy that when she ran over her husband’s mistress, he took the blame. It was that last act of gallantry that cost him his life. In a mad rage the husband of the woman Daisy ran down killed Gatsby. It was only then that the truth that Gatsby’s new life was superficial came to light. His so called friends were users. His love affair a farce. Instead of staying by his side Daisy returned to her husband. None of the hundreds of people who came to his parties ventured to his funeral. Not even his partner in crime, Meyer Wolfsheim, cared about him in the end. He was no longer of value to any of

    Read More

  • Essay On Daisy's Expectations In The Great Gatsby

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby is an emotional tale of hope of love and “romantic readiness”(1.2) that is both admirable and meritorious .Yet, the question of Daisy ever being able to measure up to Gatsby’s expectations is one that reverberates throughout the course of the novel. Be that as it may, Daisy is never truly able to measure up to Gatsby’s expectations because the image of Daisy in Gatsby’s mind is entirely different from who she actually is. Even during his younger years, Gatsby had always had a vision of himself “as a son of God”(6.98) and that “he must be about his fathers business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty”(6.98). Gatsby’s desire for aristocracy, wealth, and luxury is exactly what drives him to pursue Daisy who embodies everything that that Gatsby desires and worked towards achieving. Therefore, Gatsby sees Daisy as the final piece to his puzzle in order realize his vision. Gatsby’s hyperbolized expectation of Daisy throws light on the notion if our dreams as individuals are actually limited by reality. Since our dreams as human beings are never truly realized, because they may be lacking a specific element. Daisy proves to be that element that lingers in Gatsby’s dreams but eludes his reality.

    Read More

  • The Modest Beliefs, Genuine Heart, and Generous Will of Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Same Goal, Different Route In The Great Gatsby

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy.  He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man.  This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards.  He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick."  Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth.  Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively.  His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly.  Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention.  A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society.

    Read More

  • Major Themes Captured in Chapter Five of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, set in early 1920’s New York, tells the story of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his lasting affection for Daisy Buchannan. Mr. Gatsby is attempting to lure Daisy’s love as the couple split before Gatsby went to war. However, throughout the novel, the reader encounters unethical characters along with a complex intertwined plot that incorporates themes from early 20th century society. The true essence of the novel, and the major themes of the story, are captured and symbolized in one key paragraph in Chapter 5, page 86. This paragraph combines the motifs of time and Gatsby's great desire to go back to the past; it further reflects the emergence of phoniness and greed as important elements.

    Read More

  • Who Is The Wrong Person In The Great Gatsby

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Gatsby was young he was not rich, he is just a major military officer. He fell in love with a girl called Daisy, Daisy also loved him. After the First World War broke out, Gatsby was transferred to Europe. Whether it is accidental or inevitable, Daisy so break up with him, and with a dude come high-rolling families was married to Tom. Daisy married life is not happy, because Tom have another mistress. The satisfaction of material does not fill the Daisy spiritual emptiness. Gatsby in agony, he believes that money let Daisy betrayed the purity of mind, so determined to become a millionaire. After a few years, Gatsby finally succeeded. He built a building near the Daisy's house. Gatsby wished to attract the attention of Daisy, to redeem the lost love. Under Tom's play, the cause of his mistress's husband shot and killed Gatsby. Gatsby finally became the victim. He had failed to see Daisy. Gatsby died for Daisy. Gatsby's tragedy is that he put everything to his beautiful dream weaving. Daisy, as the embodiment of his ideal, but only has a beautiful body. His ideal is materialism, but beyond material itself, is a pure ideal. Daisy for Gatsby is not just a dream lover, but the source of his dream. Although Gatsby clearly recognized "her voice was full of money", but still not change

    Read More

  • The Traits of Jay Gatsby

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Social and Moral Values in Relation to the Downfall of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gatsby downfall came when he sacrificed his morality to attain wealth. Gatsby realises that the illusion of his dream with Daisy, demands wealth to become priority, and thus wealth becomes the desire overriding his need for her [Daisy’s] love. Gatsby claims to others that he has inherited his wealth, but Nick discovers "[h]is parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" (Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, pg 104) and that Gatsby has lied about his past. In a society that relies on luxuries, Gatsby throws parties to attract Daisy’s attention. Also, Gatsby expresses that same need to keep busy, just as Daisy does, in a society of the elite. Nick describes Gatsby as "never quite still, there was always a tapping foot somewhere or the impatient opening and closing of a hand" (Fitzgerald, pg 68). Gatsby fills his house "full of interesting people...who do interesting things" (Fitzgerald, pg 96). Gatsby's dream is doomed to failure in that he has lost the fundamental necessities to experience love, such as honesty and moral integrity.

    Read More

  • In The Great Gatsby, Is Gatsby Truly Great?

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    The obsession with wealth often blinds people from the potential crisis. The crisis of having everything they worked and struggled for redefined if the reality fails them. Just like strivers who chase the American dream, Gatsby also spend his whole life in persue of his American dream, which Daisy was a major component of it. Gatsby’s “American dream” seems actualized when Daisy comments him “resemble the advertisement of the man(Ch7).” But Daisy eventually betrays Gatsby and went back to the arms of Tom. This is the final nail in the coffin, with Gatsby’s dr...

    Read More

  • Jay Gatsby's Dream

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    Like many Americans still believe today, Gatsby believed that material things alone constitutes the American Dream. The story itself, and the main figure, are tragic, and it is precisely the fantastic vulgarity of the scene which adds to the excellence of Gatsby’s soul its finest qualities, and to his tragic fate its sharpest edge. Gatsby is betrayed to the reader gradually, and with such tenderness, which in the end makes his tragedy a deeply moving one. Finally, before his death, Gatsby becomes disillusioned. His inner life of dreams loses its power and he finds himself alone in the emptiness of a purely material universe.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby started as a poor military officer with a dream to marry a rich girl, Daisy. Despite their love for each other, Daisy couldn’t wait for Gatsby to become financially secure any longer: that was the reason he delayed his return from war. The pressures of a shallow, empty, materialistic society closed in on her and engulfed her whole. She married Tom Buchanan, a stable man with inherited wealth. He was a safe bet. Almost five years later, Daisy and Gatsby reunite over tea at the narrator, Nick’s, house. Immediately, their love rekindled into a scandalous affair, but just as Gatsby’s dream of marrying Daisy brushed his fingertips, a shallow, empty, materialistic society swallowed Daisy once more. Gatsby was left to die in the wake of her disappearance back into her East Egg society with Tom. Fitzgerald utilized Gatsby’s dream to create a storyline that was doomed from the start. He did this in order to show his audience the emptiness, the shallowness, and the materialistic nature of the new 1920’s American society. Tom and Daisy are the main characters in which Fitzgerald laces this theme through.

    Read More

  • Why The Great Gatsby Paid To High A Price. What After All Was His Crime

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    After five years, Gatsby returned as a millionaire, with a blind pursuit of Daisy. Everything he did, every purchase he made, every party he threw, was all part of his grand scheme to bring daisy back into his life for good. By being so focused on his dream of Daisy, Gatsby moves further into his own fantasy world. He thought what he was doing was noble, honorable and purposeful regardless of all the crime committed in the process. His inability to deal with reality sets him out

    Read More

  • Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Gatsby, his idolization of the extremely rich led him to inherit certain shallow ideals, which over time, caused him to lose focus on what should and should be given meaningful value. As Gatsby continued to surround himself with rich and powerful people, along with living in the 1920’s, he became engulfed in many materialistic and shallow ideals, leading to the corruption of is American Dream. While his dream becomes corrupt, Gatsby was not at fault, but it was rather the society’s fault as a whole. Society is at fault not only the time period, but also for the pressures that were put on Gatsby to be seen as achieved or successful. This included Daisy, as she could not marry someone poorer than her, which ultimately led Gatsby to believe he wasn't enough. Thus, his desire to be seen as equal to Daisy overtook him, until ultimately, he was left blinded by what he had worked so hard for, money. His constant fuel for more is what led materialistic and shallow ideals to be apart of everyday life for Gatsby, along with outside pressures from

    Read More

  • Power In The Great Gatsby

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Gatsby had confronted Tom about Daisy’s love for the two men, he became flustered when Daisy had not any words for him; “but with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up” (Fitzgerald 134). Strong men, in such a culture as the 1920s, did not merely “give up,” as it is a sign of weakness. Clearly, Gatsby abandoned the male stereotype of independence and power and allowed a female to control his actions. Gatsby allowed his hunger for dominance to overpower him. He began to compete with Tom to win Daisy’s heart; “Gatsby can oppress Daisy to love him and compete with Tom in wealth” (Bao-feng 5). The battle between the two men began with a love for the lady, but spread further due to male egotism. Gatsby created a future for him and Daisy without her consent; he envisioned a lavish and extraordinary life for the two of them. “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” (Fitzgerald 110). He never imagined a life lived without her. A woman he had met five years prior was controlling his vision of the rest of his life. He craved a life of riches and wealth so Daisy would choose him over any

    Read More

  • What Does The American Dream Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    In searching for a future with Daisy, Gatsby ends up finding death, this theme ultimately demonstrates the “American Dream” sometimes is just a Dream, an illusion, and in the process of vigorously chasing after it, we set ourselves up for our own demise. But he knew that he was in Daisy’s house by a colossal accident. However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders. So he made the most of his time. He took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously—” (Fitzgerald 159). Jay Gatsby’s American dream began right when he saw daisy, his love for her sparks this drive to be successful simply to attain Daisy for himself, in the process of doing so he masks his real identity in the “Invisible cloak of his uniform”, knowing that if Daisy

    Read More

More about Examples Of Dust Fly In The Great Gatsby

Open Document