Human Heart

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Human Heart

Discuss the ways in which a novelist explores the condition of the human heart in a novel you have studied.

In the novel “The great Gatsby”, the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the conditions of the human heart through relationships that occur in this story. The relationships between Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Myrtle and Tom, Myrtle and George Wilson and Nick and Jordan, all are flawed by the selfishness of individuals and lack of actual love. Fitzgerald compares this to the time era the novel is set in, the 1920’s. This was a time of “false” security in that the economy was going to stay high forever(the crash soon followed) and false hope in the American dream. The relationships like this false sense of security looked good, but were built on nothing and so “crashed”. The contrast to this was the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby, although not successful, it was built on something more than the selfish and shallow needs of individuals.

The first relationship that is explored in this novel is Daisy and Tom Buchanan. Their relationship is one that looks ideal. Tom is the typical hero, one of the most powerful ends at New Haven, hulking muscle mass (with a personality to match) and very wealthy. Daisy is the very beautiful, soft spoken and witty girl in which everyone loves.

Together they perfect examples of the American dream. But as we see at Nick’s first visit to the Buchanan’s, there is a sense of real love lacking from their relationship, shown by their interactions. “It’s romantic, isn’t it, Tom?” The relationship is based on money and the social scene of the wealthy rather than actual love for each other. But because they are similar characters in the way that their values are built on money and wealth, they do stay together and why Daisy doesn’t marry Gatsby. “…retreated back into their money or vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together,…”

Tom feels the lack of love from his relationship with Daisy, but is too stupid to actually realise it, and because that is the relationship he “should” (according to the American dream) be in, will never realise it. We see this in his restless behaviour. “…Tom would drift on forever, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game.” This is what makes Tom have mistresses such as Myrtle Wilson. This relationship replaces what lacks from his relationship with Daisy.

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