The Great Gatsby Essay
Content
The Great Gatsby: Illusion vs. Reality
Alyssa Kunath English III Mr. Vollmecke May 3, 2010
Thesis - In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts how money had corrupted the reality of Gatsby, Daisy, Myrtle, and Tom. I. Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters that lives in this extravagant world of make believe. A. main goals B. loves Daisy still C. oblivious to his surroundings II. Daisy Buchanan was the object of Gatsby¶s love. A. impatient B. wishes she could go back in time C. corruption III. Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. A. inherited money B. careless IV. Myrtle is married to George Wilson. A. George is passive B. sees past Tom¶s brutality Conclusion - In the end, even the greatest characters in The Great Gatsby are fooled by illusion. It put on the mask of reality and, often more than not, tore apart the lives and reputations of those who believed in it.
Alyssa Kunath English III Mr. Vollmecke May 3, 2010 The Great Gatsby Analysis
Kunath 1
Things are not always as they seem. Many of the characters mistake fantasy for reality. Money was the underlining cause of the illusionary world that majority of the characters were trapped in. In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts how money had corrupted the reality of Gatsby, Daisy, Myrtle, and Tom. Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters that lives in this extravagant world of make believe. Gatsby¶s main attempt is to get back everything that he had lost in the past. Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan were an item before the war. Even though they were in love, Gatsby did not have the financial ability to marry someone in Daisy¶s class. At first, he was not as rich as he claimed to be, he was ³a penniless young man without a past´ (156) who had a structured lifestyle. The only way Jay could pay all of his luxuries was to become as a bootlegger. With his money he had bought this house on the bay just to be across from Daisy. His main goal in life is to be with Daisy, his dream girl, and the only way he can is to obtain enough wealth to be on the same financial level as her. He believes that that was the barrier that kept them apart in the first place. Gatsby does not understand that displays of wealth alone cannot get him into Daisy¶s world and does not realize that she is also not up to his own ideals. Even with an expensive lifestyle, he still is not happy with his life because he ³paid a high price for living too long with a
Kunath 2 single dream´ (169) to repeat the past with Daisy. There must have been moments when even Daisy had fallen short of his dreams, though not through her own fault, but because his illusion was more profound than his belief that he and Daisy shared a deep, mutual love that could be recaptured. He believed that through his efforts and strength of will he could defeat reality with his romantic dreams. His illusion became his reality. Daisy Buchanan was the object of Gatsby¶s love. She loved Gatsby and had made a promise to him that she would wait for him until the war was over. Daisy decided she could not wait and marries Tom Buchanan. Tom is immensely wealthy, and comes from a socially solid family in Daisy¶s mind. The only reason she marries Tom is because he has money and is able to buy her all the material objects she could ever want. Security with money and luxurious materialistic things help her get away from reality. While Daisy recognizes that society¶s pressures are forces to be reckoned with, she also longs for the innocent period of her ³white girlhood,´ before she was forced/forced herself into her marriage to Tom. The Buchanans seem to move every few years, which might be symbolic of the ruthlessness of the rich. ³And I hope she¶ll be a fool ± That¶s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool´ (21) regarding her daughter Pammy. This statement shows part of her corruption because she is saying that it is better to be careless and beautiful instead of worrying about real things in life. Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. Instead of working hard for his money like some of the others, he inherited it. He takes his money for granted; buying his lovers whatever they want. Tom feels that poor people are inferior to him and can treat them however he wants. When Myrtle was talking with Tom he, ³broke her nose with his open hand´ (41). Tom¶s actions
Kunath 3 basically tell everyone that such violence means nothing to him throughout the novel. Acting like a man of high class and good taste, he buys extravagant things such as polo ponies or a $350,000 string of pearls for Daisy. Although he is not physically abusive to his wife, Tom certainly causes her some definite emotional damage. He does not care about her feelings or what she has to say. Tom values expensive things that are both beautiful and tasteful. Myrtle is married to George Wilson. He owns a run-down garage in the valley of ashes. Desperate to lead a better life, she is attracted to Tom because he is controlling and authoritative as to where George is passive. Although Tom is married, he is wealthy and enjoys the company of other women. Myrtle uses this to her advantage and keeps Tom under her control. Unfortunately he treats her just as a mere object of his desire. When she marries Wilson, she knows he is below her, but she still marries him. Marrying Wilson is a mistake since he can't provide for her expensive needs that only Tom can afford. She regrets ever marrying Wilson so she runs off with Tom whenever the chance appears. She feels that Wilson is too lowly for her. Although marrying Wilson is a serious mistake, she isn't able to learn from this experience. One night when she is on her way to her sister's, she meets a handsome stranger whom she falls in love with on first sight. The stranger is Tom and she only loves him because of his status symbols. Myrtle's behavior reflects her decision making abilities and how she is vulnerable to manipulation. Although Tom is brutal and violent, his wealth keeps her content. In the end, even the greatest characters in The Great Gatsby are fooled by illusion. It put on the mask of reality and, often more than not, tore apart the lives and reputations of those who believed in it.
Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Seventy-fifth Anniversary Edition. New York: Scribner, 1996.
Alyssa Kunath English III Mr. Vollmecke May 3, 2010
Thesis - In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts how money had corrupted the reality of Gatsby, Daisy, Myrtle, and Tom. I. Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters that lives in this extravagant world of make believe. A. main goals B. loves Daisy still C. oblivious to his surroundings II. Daisy Buchanan was the object of Gatsby¶s love. A. impatient B. wishes she could go back in time C. corruption III. Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. A. inherited money B. careless IV. Myrtle is married to George Wilson. A. George is passive B. sees past Tom¶s brutality Conclusion - In the end, even the greatest characters in The Great Gatsby are fooled by illusion. It put on the mask of reality and, often more than not, tore apart the lives and reputations of those who believed in it.
Alyssa Kunath English III Mr. Vollmecke May 3, 2010 The Great Gatsby Analysis
Kunath 1
Things are not always as they seem. Many of the characters mistake fantasy for reality. Money was the underlining cause of the illusionary world that majority of the characters were trapped in. In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts how money had corrupted the reality of Gatsby, Daisy, Myrtle, and Tom. Jay Gatsby is one of the main characters that lives in this extravagant world of make believe. Gatsby¶s main attempt is to get back everything that he had lost in the past. Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan were an item before the war. Even though they were in love, Gatsby did not have the financial ability to marry someone in Daisy¶s class. At first, he was not as rich as he claimed to be, he was ³a penniless young man without a past´ (156) who had a structured lifestyle. The only way Jay could pay all of his luxuries was to become as a bootlegger. With his money he had bought this house on the bay just to be across from Daisy. His main goal in life is to be with Daisy, his dream girl, and the only way he can is to obtain enough wealth to be on the same financial level as her. He believes that that was the barrier that kept them apart in the first place. Gatsby does not understand that displays of wealth alone cannot get him into Daisy¶s world and does not realize that she is also not up to his own ideals. Even with an expensive lifestyle, he still is not happy with his life because he ³paid a high price for living too long with a
Kunath 2 single dream´ (169) to repeat the past with Daisy. There must have been moments when even Daisy had fallen short of his dreams, though not through her own fault, but because his illusion was more profound than his belief that he and Daisy shared a deep, mutual love that could be recaptured. He believed that through his efforts and strength of will he could defeat reality with his romantic dreams. His illusion became his reality. Daisy Buchanan was the object of Gatsby¶s love. She loved Gatsby and had made a promise to him that she would wait for him until the war was over. Daisy decided she could not wait and marries Tom Buchanan. Tom is immensely wealthy, and comes from a socially solid family in Daisy¶s mind. The only reason she marries Tom is because he has money and is able to buy her all the material objects she could ever want. Security with money and luxurious materialistic things help her get away from reality. While Daisy recognizes that society¶s pressures are forces to be reckoned with, she also longs for the innocent period of her ³white girlhood,´ before she was forced/forced herself into her marriage to Tom. The Buchanans seem to move every few years, which might be symbolic of the ruthlessness of the rich. ³And I hope she¶ll be a fool ± That¶s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool´ (21) regarding her daughter Pammy. This statement shows part of her corruption because she is saying that it is better to be careless and beautiful instead of worrying about real things in life. Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. Instead of working hard for his money like some of the others, he inherited it. He takes his money for granted; buying his lovers whatever they want. Tom feels that poor people are inferior to him and can treat them however he wants. When Myrtle was talking with Tom he, ³broke her nose with his open hand´ (41). Tom¶s actions
Kunath 3 basically tell everyone that such violence means nothing to him throughout the novel. Acting like a man of high class and good taste, he buys extravagant things such as polo ponies or a $350,000 string of pearls for Daisy. Although he is not physically abusive to his wife, Tom certainly causes her some definite emotional damage. He does not care about her feelings or what she has to say. Tom values expensive things that are both beautiful and tasteful. Myrtle is married to George Wilson. He owns a run-down garage in the valley of ashes. Desperate to lead a better life, she is attracted to Tom because he is controlling and authoritative as to where George is passive. Although Tom is married, he is wealthy and enjoys the company of other women. Myrtle uses this to her advantage and keeps Tom under her control. Unfortunately he treats her just as a mere object of his desire. When she marries Wilson, she knows he is below her, but she still marries him. Marrying Wilson is a mistake since he can't provide for her expensive needs that only Tom can afford. She regrets ever marrying Wilson so she runs off with Tom whenever the chance appears. She feels that Wilson is too lowly for her. Although marrying Wilson is a serious mistake, she isn't able to learn from this experience. One night when she is on her way to her sister's, she meets a handsome stranger whom she falls in love with on first sight. The stranger is Tom and she only loves him because of his status symbols. Myrtle's behavior reflects her decision making abilities and how she is vulnerable to manipulation. Although Tom is brutal and violent, his wealth keeps her content. In the end, even the greatest characters in The Great Gatsby are fooled by illusion. It put on the mask of reality and, often more than not, tore apart the lives and reputations of those who believed in it.
Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Seventy-fifth Anniversary Edition. New York: Scribner, 1996.
