The Great Gatsby Analytical Essay

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The Great Gatsby Analytical Essay
F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many motifs in The Great Gatsby to convey all sorts of different
themes. One that stuck out to me is Fitzgerald expressing how the idea of true love is just a
dream that can be bought with money through using cheating as a motif. The idea of cheating
demonstrates how the characters of the book are reckless and view love as something that can
easily be replaced by the attention of another human being.
Tom Buchanan is a man that believes he can have anything or anyone because of his
social status. When the narrator, Nick first moves to town, he decides to hang out with his old
college buddy, Tom. At one point, Nick wants to go home but Tom confidently states that he
“wants [Nick] to meet his girl” (Fitzgerald 24). Nick being …show more content…

This represents how Tom just thinks that no matter who
he’s with; Daisy will stick by him because he is wealthy.
James Gatsby grew up being an unwealthy man. He met Daisy five years before the story
took place but lost her because he didn’t have enough money. When Gatsby and Daisy reunite
they start having an affair and because so much time has passed, Gatsby was able to become
rich. Gatsby strongly urged Daisy to come clean to Tom but because she didn’t, Gatsby ended up
having to tell Tom what was going on. Tom asked Daisy if it was true but she couldn’t respond.
Instead Gatsby told Tom that “[the affair] had been going on for five years” (Fitzgerald 131).
Truth be told, the only reason Daisy chose Tom instead of Gatsby is because in that moment,
Tom had more money and Gatsby knew that.
Because of the affair that Gatsby and Daisy were having, she began to get a lot more
confident. At one of Gatsby’s parties one night, she was about to walk off but turned and offered
a pen to Tom stating “if you want to take down any addresses here’s my little gold pen”
(Fitzgerald 105). She was so confident because she realized, she didn’t need Tom. She had a

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