Unconditional Love In The Great Gatsby

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Reckless Love
Love is a powerful force, perhaps the most powerful force. Love can move mountains and cross seas. It can change people for better or for worse. Gatsby’s struggle through adolescent poverty taught him to value and love money. With the guidance of his mentor, the persona of Jay Gatsby slowly developed. Gatsby transfers his love for money onto Daisy. However, upon their separation, he must overcome the biggest obstacle of all: her husband. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is so strong that he resorts to bootlegging alcohol to achieve riches. Many critics claim that Jay Gatsby’s reckless actions are not influenced by his love for Daisy; however, it is evident that his actions are indeed influenced by his unconditional love and passion. …show more content…

Gatsby shows parallels with Ronald Franz of Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. Ronald Franz has an extraordinary love for Chris McCandless similar to Gatsby’s love for Daisy. McCandless writes a letter to Franz telling him to get out and see the world. Franz listens to McCandless out of love. Franz waits in a desert for McCandless to return. Gatsby’s love for Daisy shows similarities. Gatsby become a criminal and sells bootlegged alcohol during the prohibition. Gatsby risks his life for a chance to rekindle his love with Daisy. Gatsby shows parallels with Hamlet of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet’s father is killed by his uncle. Hamlet’s father’s ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death. Out of love, Hamlet does uncharacteristic actions to avenge his father. Gatsby and Hamlet are unquestionably similar due to their uncharacteristic behavior. Buddha once wrote “Ambition is like love, impatient of both delays and rivals”. Although Gatsby waits five years to be reunited with Daisy, he pursues his task of resparking his love with the utmost impatience, which is reckless as well. He should have taken the task step by step instead of chasing after her at full speed. “I[Daisy] didn’t lay eyes on him[Gatsby] again for over four years’ (Fitzgerald 75). At the first chance Gatsby gets, he directs all of his money and efforts into getting Daisy’s attention and ultimately her

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