Gatsby Essay, Research Paper

People today have many desires that are not within their reach but yet they aspire to grasp them. Their whole lives revolve around these practically unattainable goals and due to this their lives no longer have any value nor meaning. Many of them dwell in the happiness of their past and they are extremely obsessed with reliving it. And therefore they have high hopes for the future. They unfortunately do not allow any room for anything new in their lives. In this case there is an excess of emotion and obsession. F. Scott Fitzgerald created a character in the novel The Great Gatsby that perfectly depicts this type of excess.

He stated:

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that s no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further… And one fine morning-

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

As this essay progresses, Gatsby s obsession with his past and the manner in which he handled life due to the result of an excess of love and emotion for someone, will be apparent. Optimism and determination is definitely positive but as with anything, an excess may be damaging.

Gatsby was a wealthy man who used everything he owned for one purpose and that was to relive his relationship with his former love, Daisy. In order for him to proceed in life and not to remain buried in the past, he had to have Daisy by his side. Gatsby was obsessed with someone he couldn t have for she was married, yet despite this, he was convinced, in his own world, that he would have her once again. Gatsby even stated to Nick: can t repeat the past? Why of course you can? He felt an excess of emotion towards Daisy and for this reason he did absolutely anything to make her content and comfortable for he even lost his life for her which definitely indicates to what extreme he loved her. The following quote by Thomas Parke D Invilliers adequately describes Gatsby for it mentions how one will do anything to win a women s love.

Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her; If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,

Till she cry Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,

I must have you!

Gatsby was a typical fool in love who did not know when to draw the line. His life had no meaning for he devoted it entirely to Daisy. Everything he did involved her in some manner. For example, he used his wealth and his parties not for his benefit but simply to locate Daisy. He opened his house to everyone in hope that Daisy would once appear among the crowd. He did not even enjoy parties yet he was desperate to find her. He also created a scrapbook that included articles and pictures of her that he had found. He even recalled the specific moment they were last together which was, he automatically stated, five years next November. He used his wealth in order to impress her and lure her to him.

Despite his excessive love and need for her, she never intended to remain with him for it was too complicated for her simple life. In the end she denied her feelings for him and remained with Tom, her husband. This, although, did not stop him, for she remained his first priority until his unfortunate and tragic death. He even mentioned that he would take the blame for Myrtle s death if Daisy were ever to be in trouble for for she did accidentally kill Myrtle while she was driving. In the end , he accomplished his last deed of love by taking the bullet intended for Myrtle s killer.

Gatsby always hoped for the passage that would finally lead him to his desire, Daisy but the chance was never there. The last paragraph on page 25 is symbolic of this for he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way,……distinguished nothing except a single green light.. The green light in this case is the go ahead , the hope to achieve one s goal.

Gatsby, unfortunately, led a miserable and meaningless life due to his excess in emotion and love for Daisy. As Gatsby tragically portrayed it, an excess in anything is not rewarding and may be very harmful. One must admire his past without obsessing about it and he must have the capability to move on. F. Scott Fitzgerald incorporated this important message of daily life in the novel The Great Gatsby and it is cleverly stated in a beautiful passage in the last paragraph of the novel.