Great Gatsby Essay example

Submitted By mistiquesun
Words: 922
Pages: 4

DESCRIBE AT LEAST ONE CHARACTER OR INDIVIDUAL FROM WHOM YOU LEARNED SOMETHING IN THE TEXT(S)
EXPLAIN WHY YOU LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THE CHARACTER(S) OR INDIVIDUAL(S) IN THE TEXT(S) In the novel "The Great Gatsby" by Scott.F. Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby, the wealthy protagonist portrays the image of sophistication as well as the American Dream. His character helped display the idea that as a human being, we will constantly develop a greed for many different things, in belief that happiness will be achieved through it. Through the actions which Gatsby chose to take in pursuit for the American dream, readers were able to be see that materialism, and money cannot buy and achieve us happiness. This idea was also portrayed through Daisy Buchanan, a rich lady who is the center of Gatsby's dream. Jay Gatsby, was not always the rich and sophisticated man he was elucidated as in the novel. He had originally come from a family of "shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" from South Dakota. He had carried a strong hatred towards the poverty as shown through the attitude he carried towards his parents; he "had never really accepted them as his parents at all". From the poverty, he had developed the goal and aspiration in achieving the American Dream as he believed that he would be able to also attract Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life, as well as obtain the wealth and lifestyle he aspired to live with. Later on in the novel, this dream helped show that wealth does not necessarily bring happiness, as shown through Gatsby's actions and feelings. Jay Gatsby, or previously known as "Jay Gatz" had undergone a journey of reinventing himself to pursue his idea of the American Dream. His idea of the dream, was obtaining a large amount of wealth, sharing it with the love of his life Daisy Buchanan, and living in the happiness he believed he would get through the posession of wealth. Being from a background of poverty, the hatred he had towards it had eventually caused him to leave home to join the army and then work as a cleaner at a state university to pay for his education. After becoming sick of the labour he had to undergo to get educated, he had dropped out, and took part in "bootlegging", that is, illegal crime. Gatsby was able to come into the posession of a large amount of money from "bootlegging" but he found that he was unhappy due to the fact that he did not have with him the reason for which he had obtained all the wealth in the first place, Daisy Buchanan. His obsession with achieving the American dream had resulted in the making of himself as a new person, relationships with people he hardly knew, and the growing and development of his idea and belief that by achieving a large amount of wealth, and getting Daisy, he would be able to become a happy man. He was persistant in trying to obtain Daisy, a married woman's love, as he also took actions for which he believed would make her fall for him, but consequently, it resulted in Gatsby's death. Gatsby became a blinded man towards reality as he pursued for Daisy's love, as he believed that Daisy was the love of his life, when realistically, it was only the idea of Daisy which he was in love with. His obsession with the American dream had caused Gatsby to believe that Daisy is the perfect woman, and that by having her by his side, she will bring him happiness. He believed that she would be the elegant, caring, and loving woman who