The Great Gatsby Conflict Analysis

In the novel The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characters and conflict to subliminally tell the reader what he thinks to be the American Dream. The question Fitzgerald is answering is not what the American Dream is, but who. Some characters that Fitzgerald uses to relay his message of the American Dream are Daisy, Gatsby and Tom. The conflict that Fitzgerald uses is Daisys' marital problems and how Gatsby is constantly trying to re-capture the attention of his past lover through his own series of low key methodical stunts.
Gatsby is wealthy young man whom lives in a gothic mansion in West Egg. He earns his money through criminal activities like bootlegging during the prohibition. Gatsby throws open parties every Saturday yet no one knows who he is or where he came from. Gatsby was born as James Gatz on a small farm in North Dakota where worked for a millionaire, this drove his dedication to achieve the same amount of financial status. When Gatsby joined the army he was stationed in Louisville, training to be an officer. Soon enough he met Daisy and, in time, fell in love

with Daisy. As their bond grew stronger Gatsby was met with an unfortunate fate when he was called to serve in The Great War. For four years Gatsby was overseas serving his country while Daisy was left alone with only her thoughts of Gatsby to put her mind at rest as to why he was gone for so long. Daisy had assumed that Gatsby was dead so she stopped waiting for his return and decided to move on. Daisy married a man named Tom and had a family with him. Once Gatsby caught wind of Daisy and her new life he began his desperate attempts capture her attention and re-ignite the flame they once shared. Gatsby began with buying a house that was adjacent to hers from across the bay. Then he threw small parties at his gothic mansion, hoping one night that Daisy would wander in and make her way to meet Gatsby. Gatsby didn’t care about his enormous amount of wealth, which most think to be the American Dream. All Gatsby cared about was Daisy; he cared not for the rumors spread about his personal life or about how he acquired his wealth. You might also go as far to say that he cares little for his own well-being. Fitzgerald displays this when Daisy wrecks her car and Gatsby takes the fall for her. For Gatsby, Daisy is his American Dream.
In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald also uses conflict to convoy to the reader what he thinks to be the American Dream.

After Gatsby falls off the radar and Daisy decides to move on she marries Tom Buchanan; one of the wealthiest men in America at the time. Together they have themselves a little family. Now we already know that Daisy is Gatsbys’ American Dream so how could you ever think that she would leave Tom for someone she hasn’t seen in years? Well by the time Gatsby moves in across the bay Tom is already cheating on Daisy with his dirty mistress, Isla Fisher. So already their marriage is somewhat on edge but you have to remember it’s the 1920s so divorce is rare and strongly frowned upon at this time. When Gatsby and Daisy start to meet each other is doesn’t help her marriage situation any more than the Isla is. In fact Daisy tells Tom in chapter seven that she is going to leave

him.
Fitzgerald smashes the stereotypical views of an American Dream with his genius subliminal messaging and mild imagery. He gives the reader two parties, Gatsby and Daisy, with a vague understanding of each of their backgrounds. Then Fitzgerald adds a third party, Nick, who we know all about and knows everything about everyone so that the reader need not to question him and his trustworthy personality. This strategy eliminates the urge of the reader to become detached to the characters when curiosity overtakes the readers emotions. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald reveals a little about Gatsby and Daisy through Nick, the narrator. This strategy keeps the readers interest in the novel while gaining a deeper trust for Nick. It is through these two literary elements, characters and conflict, that Fitzgerald is trying to tell the reader that the American is not wealth or fame, it is love.