The Great Gatsby

892 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary Analysis Of'The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald opens The Great Gatsby with an epigraph, consisting of a poem, ostensibly written by Thomas Parke D’Invilliers. D’Invillier, a fictional character created by Fitzgerald, describes the advice given to a man to woo his woman of interests with materialistic things. This epigraph directly parallels the courtship of Gatsby and Daisy, as he uses his wealth to cultivate the past love, which was once at the core of their relationship. The use of the epigraph serves as an illusory element of The Great Gatsby, drawing attention to the employment of wealth used in attempts to rekindle the lost love between Gatsby and Daisy, ultimately resulting in the reader empathizing with Gatsby. Gatsby strives to wear the “gold hat,” a color associated with abundance and success to gain the affection of Daisy, who is a vanity worshipper (D’Invillier). Aware of Daisy’s “excite[ment]” for materialistic possessions, Gatsby throws “gleaming, dazzling parties,” for five years straight in hopes of her appearance (Fitzgerald 67,114). Strategically wearing the “gold hat,” upon reunion with Daisy, Gatsby shows Daisy his “enormous,” “well looking” house (Fitzgerald 93). The house, conveniently located across the bay facing Daisy’s house, is laced with expensive, cherished decor that Gatsby revalued “according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes” (Fitzgerald, 59). Wholly absorbed by Daisy and her interest in his regal home, it is evident Gatsby solely values materials on it’s ability to “move” Daisy closer to him (D’Invillier). Similar, to the tour of his house, Gatsby’s display of his “beautiful shirts,” were intentional to romance her (Fitzgerald 59). Gatsby’s wealth, proving to be overwhelming as Daisy cries for “n... ... middle of paper ... ... was never fulfilled. Gatsby’s use of wealth attracted Daisy, however, proved to be a weak force when compared to the force of the social structure, and old wealth that is nature to the East Egg. While the male lover in the epigraph reigns champion with the gold hat, Gatsby will always be silver to Daisy, as his social class can never compete with Tom. “There are things between Daisy and [him]” that Gatsby will never know, such as how it is to be birthed into the respected upper-class (Fitzgerald 114). Perhaps the male lover in the epigraph succeeds because he wears the “gold hat” and “bounces high,” while Gatsby only successfully achieves one of the requirements. Gatsby’s lack of success causes the reader to sympathize with him, as his dreams of Daisy are never fulfilled. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Jay Gatsby is a Sympathetic Character in Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth. Ever since meeting Dan Cody, his fascination for wealth has increased dramatically. He even uses illegal unmoral methods to obtain hefty amounts of wealth to spend on buying a house with “ Marie Antoinette music-rooms, Restoration Salons, dressing rooms and poolrooms, and bath rooms with sunken baths.” (88) His wardrobe is just as sensational with “ shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine fennel.” (89) Gatsby buys such posh items to impress Daisy but to him, Daisy herself is a symbol of wealth. Jay remarks, “[Daisy’s] voice is full of money.” (115). For him, Daisy is the one who is “ High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden gir...

    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 Great Gatsby Passion Quotes

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gatsby’s distinct charisma indicates his struggle against moral corruption and sets him apart from the moral decay evident in the upper class. Owl eyes is very surprised when he finds out all the books in Gatsby’s library are real, “‘The books?...Absolutely real--have pages and everything...It’s a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco’” (45). While most of the upper class uses outward displays of wealth to cover their inner moral corruption, Gatsby uses his extravagant opulence to mask his love for Daisy. In this way his morals and ability to conceal his love prove his willingness and drive to acquire Daisy’s love and acceptance. The majority of the upper class suffers from moral poverty, lacking internal morals to keep them grounded acting out in ways that diminishes their social status. Gatsby is so close to Daisy his whole life yet he is unable to get any closer until their relationship is destroyed forever. “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock...his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him” (180). Gatsby continually reaches out for Daisy with hope and optimism, but the distance between his dock and the Buchanan’s does not get any closer symbolic for the

    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

  • The Great Gatsby

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    this flashback, Jordan explains to Nick how she first met Gatsby. She explains to Nick

    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

  • The Great Gatsby

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jay Gatsby is a mysterious businessman from the nineteen twenties that is an ideal example of the American Dream. He falls in love with a young and vibrant woman by the name of Daisy Buchannan. Their admiration for each other enforces a luminous spark of determination upon themselves. This subsidizes their relationship under struggling circumstances, and changed their lives for the better. Daisy and Gatsby are the only two that truly prospered from their “American Dream” in this novel.

    Read More

  • The Valley of the Ashes in the Great Gatsby

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...rom the elite rich, who possess old money. Tom also claims that Gatsby “threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy’s”, (142) and can be said to be using his false wealth to mislead and confuse Daisy and Nick into thinking he is someone of their standards, which shows that Gatsby is not recognised as one of their class. This undercuts the glamorous wealth associated with Gatsby, and the ideal of equality in the American Dream.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: Chasing Dreams

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of a man of meager wealth who chases after his dreams, only to find them crumble before him once he finally reaches them. Young James Gatz had always had dreams of being upper class, he didn't only want to have wealth, but he wanted to live the way the wealthy lived. At a young age he ran away from home; on the way he met Dan Cody, a rich sailor who taught him much of what he would later use to give the world an impression that he was wealthy. After becoming a soldier, Gatsby met an upper class girl named Daisy - the two fell in love. When he came back from the war Daisy had grown impatient of waiting for him and married a man named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby now has two coinciding dreams to chase after - wealth and love. Symbols in the story, such as the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, the contrast between the East Egg and West Egg, and the death of Myrtle, Gatsby, and Wilson work together to expose a larger theme in the story. Gatsby develops this idea that wealth can bring anything - status, love, and even the past; but what Gatsby doesn't realize is that wealth can only bring so much, and it’s this fatal mistake that leads to the death of his dreams.

    Read More

  • In The Great Gatsby, Is Gatsby Truly Great?

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick describes Gatsby as “one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life(Ch.3).” Such description unifies the appearance of Gatsby with people’s expectation of a man who accomplished the American dream. 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 spent his whole life in pursuit of his American dream, which Daisy was a major component of.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: Money, Power, and the Fulfillment of Dreams

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gatsby is a dreamer, he dreams that one day he and Daisy will be able to be together once again. To achieve this dream, Gatsby has made himself a rich man. He knows that in order to win Daisy back, he must be wealthy and of high social stature. Gatsby is rich, has a beautiful mansion, nice things, things like shirts “They’re such beautiful shirts. . . It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful clothes” (pg.98).Gatsby believes his dream will come true because of all the money and nice things he has.

    Read More

  • Jay Gatsby's Dream

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    When he first meets Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby has “committed himself to the following of a grail” (156). With extreme dedication, he stops at nothing to win her love back, after years of separation. Gatsby’s idealized conception of Daisy is the motivating force that underlies his compulsion to become successful. Everything he has done, up to this point, has been directed toward winning Daisy’s favor and having her back in his life. The greatest example of this dedication is the mansion he has constructed, “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, all for the love of Daisy Buchanan. 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. Gatsby seems to be caught in a conflict between materialism and idealism that created and still defines the American character.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    In life, we ask ourselves the question what we are? In addition, we also ask ourselves how our perspectives allow us to see this world? These questions are an opening idea’s, which requires the person answering it, to be fully aware of his or her life, and then have the ability to judge it without any personal bias. This is why, in the book that was and is in a sense is still talked about in class, The Great Gatsby, which is a book that follows a plethora of charters all being narrated by, Nick Caraway, a character of the book The Great Gatsby. Nick Caraway is the character in the book which judges and describes his and other character’s actions and virtues. Now we speak of a character whose name is Jay Gatsby or other whys known as James Gatz, which is one of the characters that Mr. Caraway, seems to be infatuated with from the start of the book. This character Jay Gatsby develops a perspective, which in his view seems to justify his actions by the way that he saw the world that he was living in. In this essay, I will explain why the ambitions of a person, can lead them to do things that are beyond there normal character.

    Read More

  • What Is The Reality Of Reality In The Great Gatsby

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gatsby’s obsession of his love for Daisy and wealth prove his dream as unattainable. Throughout the novel, he consumes himself into lies to cheat his way into people’s minds convincing them he is this wealthy and prosperous man. Gatsby tries to win Daisy’s love through his illusion of success and relive the past, but fails to comprehend his mind as too hopeful for something impossible. In the end, Nick is the only one to truly understand Gatsby’s hopeful aspirations he set out for himself but ultimately could not obtain. In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to parallel many themes of the roaring twenties to current society. The ideas of high expectations and obsession of the material world are noticeable throughout the history and is evident in many lives of people today.

    Read More

  • Societal Pressures: The Cause of Heartlessness

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    Daisy’s society places her under strict social regulations based on wealth, which ultimately decide many aspects of her life. The 1920s society that is the setting for The Great Gatsby seems to consist of three social classes: the wealthy, socially connected, and old fashioned in East Egg; the newly rich and flamboyant lacking social connections in West Egg; and the poor living in the “Valley of Ashes.” Daisy Buchannan belongs to the upper East Egg class. Those who are part of this class are held to high social standards. Coming from a wealthy family, Da...

    Read More

More about The Great Gatsby

Open Document