Gatsby Analysis Essay, Research Paper

Wealth, power and fame can provide extravagance such as trips to tropical islands lying under the sun, basking in the shade. Men wear navy blue pinstriped suits with silver ties and comfortable luxury cars to drive home after a long day at the office. Wealth can buy myriad material goods in life that a person wants, but it doesn t buy one of the most important things in life, love- an untouchable that cannot be bought, an untouchable that can only be created through relationships and care between families, friends and lovers.

Love is the one pure, unsoiled element in life that cannot be tarnished. In the homes of those less fortunate, and in the cold, damp streets where people have no homes, love can still be found deep in the warm hearts souls of the people. Love is the harbinger of hope, the messenger of togetherness and family. Love is something that cannot be bought. It only becomes abundant over a period of time between two people. I believe a perfect quote that defines the phrase Money can t buy me love is found in the song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney Can t Buy my love ; I may not have a lot to give, but what I got I ll give to you, because I don t care too much for money, because money can t buy me love.

With fortune Jay Gatsby lures Daisy into his world with his charm, mysteriousness of his motives and the thrill of mingling with an ex-lover. Motivated by Daisy s saying, Rich girls don t marry poor boys, Gatsby uses several tactics to obtain a permanent place in her heart. His heart is full of love for her and he believes that she is in love with him. Gatsby uses his resources of money and luxurious lifestyle to reel Daisy in like a fish, but he never could get her full heart. In a time of corruption, and in the rich suburbs of Manhattan, promiscuous lifestyles were plentiful. As Gatsby and his wealthy companions passed poverty on their way to New York City, they lacked the one thing that the less fortunate had: pure love. Myrtle Wilson lacked love with her husband only because she was caught in the idea of money and what the upper-class was doing, rather than establishing her own morals. George was in love and once he found his wife lying lifeless and dead on the side of the road, he killed Gatsby for it. The rich were depicted as being superficial and not capable of having a happy and satisfied life. Gatsby used his house filled with lavish gardens, soft, comfortable furniture, new cars, butlers and servants to try to win over Daisy. Nick commented, Money protects careless people, referring to Tom and Daisy. This quote may be true, but the thing that is true and is ever present in this book is that money can t obtain everything in life.

The Roaring 20 s brought lifestyles of rebelliousness, immorality, and more new money to the clan of the rich and famous. Gatsby s desires for Daisy fueled him to make every decision in his life according to what would benefit himself and his position with Daisy. Gatsby believes her to be in love with him and that they will flee together and be wed together forever. Daisy never really loved Gatsby, but the idea of living the wild, exciting life of affairs and past flings stimulated her. These quotes by Charles Baudelaire, Anita Brookner and Stendhal describe in short Gatsby s attempts and failures of using money to buy life, happiness and love.

It is unfortunately very true that, without leisure and money, love can be no more than an orgy of the common man. . . . Instead of being a sudden impulse full of ardour and reverie, it becomes a distastefully utilitarian affair. -Charles Baudelaire (1821 67) French Poet

Real love is a pilgrimage. It happens when there is no strategy, but it is very rare because most people are strategists. -Anita Brookner (b. 1938), British novelist,

True love makes the thought of death frequent, easy, without terrors; it merely becomes the standard of comparison, the price one would pay for many things. -Stendhal (1783 1842), French author.