Unrealistic Dreams In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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In The Great Gatsby, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, uses Chapter 5 to show that unrealistic dreams lead to disappointment. For instance, an example of this is evident through Gatsby’s excessive preparations for Daisy’s arrival at Daisy’s residence: when Nick returns to his place after buying some cups, lemons, and flowers, he mentions that “the flowers were unnecessary” because “a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby’s with innumerable receptacles” (84). It is palpable from the vast amount of plants brought over to Nick’s place that Gatsby has very high expectations of Daisy. Likewise, when Gatsby returns to Nick’s house to meet Daisy, Nick records that he “was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes” (84). Gatsby’s pale and sleeplessness suggests that he has such high expectations of Daisy that he cannot sleep, so he must have spent most, if not the entirety, of the night thinking about Daisy. …show more content…

Gatsby overwinds himself when he makes over-the-top preparations, in which he spends years preparing for Daisy, but the expectations and dreams Gatsby prepares for are disproportionate to reality; now, Gatsby’s feelings are running down with dissatisfaction because he has overwound himself by expecting too much from Daisy. As Nick goes over to Gatsby and Daisy to say goodbye, he notices that the “expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby’s face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his happiness”

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