The Obsessive Nature of Desire Presented in The Great Gatsby, Othello and Enduring Love

Obsession is defined as “an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone” (1), and is a prominent theme (in) The Great Gatsby, Enduring Love and Othello. For example, in all three, there is a great desire to obtain things which are unattainable, and in turn this fuels their obsession and causes it to intensify. Furthermore, the act of being obsessive is a common human characteristic, which enforces the fact that obsession is a key element throughout all the texts. Othello has the desire to seek revenge. Fitzgerald shows the desire of lust for Gatsby to have Daisy, whilst also allowing him to accomplish a social desire of fulfilling the American Dream, which was typical of the 1920’s as people were searching for wealth and status after the economic boom. However Enduring Love By Ian McEwan shows an infatuation between Jed and Joe rather than actual love which also shows an infatuation between Jed and Joe rather than actual love which also shows both the acceptance and denial of homosexuality. One cannot convict any of these characters for perusing in their actions, as the obsession manipulates all concepts of moral absolutes, which allows them to take no consequences for their further undertakings.

In all three texts desires are visisble for the reader to distinguish. Othello has the desire to seek revenge on his wife.

The first way (fundamentally) the texts show obsession through romantic desire. In ‘The Great Gatsby’, this desire is shown through the love that Gatsby possesses for Daisy and the pursuit of attempting to rekindle the love that they once felt for each other. This is shown (demonstrated) when it is stated that “their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With ef...

... middle of paper ...

...wife’ so he can fulfil this. This means the love he possesses for Daisy is purely superficial but is used to justify the obsession with his true desire, with status and money.

All three works depict the idea of obsession as a compulsion the effects of which cause destruction. In ‘Enduring Love’ through the use of the appendix McEwan draws a cyclic structure following the theme of love which later turns into obsession and enduring love throughout the course of the novel, which symbolises how the obsession never ends until death. ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Othello’ have more drastic affects of their obsession as they result in death, both with the ones they love and to them and consequently no fuel for their obsession causing it to finally end. All three texts highlight the dangerous nature of obsession and the damage it will cause to each individual character’s life.