Great Gatsby

Jena Yang

O’Brien

American Lit H

February 17, 2015

Dreams of the Damned

        The Great Gatsby is regarded as the most noteworthy American novel of all time. The symbols, the cynicism, the ostentatious depiction of the Jazz Age, as dubbed by F. Scott Fitzgerald, play a significant role in revealing the truth about the twenties, a misinterpreted era, that demands to be uncovered. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald utilizes the characters of Gatsby and Daisy as symbols of romanticism and materialism, respectively, to portray the dangers of capitalism and the corruption of the American Dream.

        Gatsby is depicted as a romantic for having an ambitious sense of hope and optimism. In the most symbolic scene in the novel, Gatsby refuses to accept the fact that the past is in the past and that he cannot change anything that had already happened, despite Nick’s constant pleas. Gatsby says, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (110). His yearning for the past is something Fitzgerald uses to foreshadow his defeat later in the novel. Fitzgerald also utilizes the idea of the platonic conception to showcase the romantic essence of Gatsby.

“… I saw 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 present happiness. Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when daisy tumbled short of his dreams-not through her own fault, but because of her colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”

Gatsby’s platonic conception of Daisy was much more satisfying than Daisy in reality. He built her up too much to his unrealistic expectations. Daisy occasionally “tumbled short of his dreams…because of her colossal vitality of his illusion” which prove that she was never enough for Gatsby (95). He could never be content with what he had. Although in his head she was the most perfect being alive, in reality, she was nothing close. Also, Daisy remains in the present by deciding to stay with materialistic Tom because he was attainable, and he was someone whose standards she was able to satisfy, to an extent. Gatsby tried to perfect his dream by constantly “adding to it…decking it out” (95). Gatsby’s flawless target is Daisy from five years ago, which signifies his inclination to remain in the past. Gatsby is a romantic because he transcends by trying to go backwards, not forwards. He is fixed on the unattainable goal that is Daisy and their perfect relationship of the past, which make him the embodiment of romanticism until he is given a false hope by the corrupting power of materialism.

        Not only is Gatsby a romantic, but he is also a materialist. He indulges in earthly pleasures such as cars, extravagant parties, and the best clothes, along with plenty of other material goods. He does so for two main reasons: to achieve and maintain his reputation within the upper class, and to impress Daisy.  For instance, Nick’s narration about Gatsby made him seem like the world’s richest man who lived without doing anything independently; he merely possessed. Gatsby owned a Rolls Royce, multiple boats and aquaplanes, servants, and other people who catered to his every needs (39). This side of Gatsby illustrates his materialistic nature. However, he is this way because his romantic notions triggered his material ones. Gatsby’s glamorous and mysterious lifestyle was his way of attaining his final goal, Daisy. He had hoped that some day their relationship would be rekindled. However, his reasoning for his actions and possessions is what destroyed him in the end.