Character Development In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel that fully encompasses the harsh realities of living in America during the 1920s. The story digs into territory of the lives of men and women from that era that is far more detailed than any history book could ever dream of achieving. We as readers get the pleasure of grasping the traits of each character on a more individual level rather than simply scratching the surface of character development like a vast majority of books seem to. The struggles we see progress throughout the story are issues we still can empathize with in modern day. Some of the obstacles the individuals in this novel face are financial discrimination, marital/relational dissonance, and the clear separation of statuses

Gatsby longed after the green dock light night after night in attempt to fill the void of Daisy’s distance. She is so close that he could almost grab it, but just like the ultimate dream, Daisy is unattainable as well. Gatsby has all the riches he could possibly want, but he actually is attempting to grasp more than solely wealth in his dream. Daisy would be his missing puzzle piece if he only could win her heart. Gatsby holds parties in hopes that Daisy will attend and they will reconnect, but all that effort he put into making this home for Daisy was all for naught. Daisy did not deserve a man as giving as Gatsby. She toyed him for every penny he was worth. Gatsby cannot seem to get his head out of the gutter in regards to Daisy even though he is keenly aware of how manipulative she was. The green dock light was described as “ a minute and far away”, but Daisy was not the dream he should strive for to begin

Whether the characters are flaunting an air of snootiness because of wealth, hopelessly romanticizing a woman who is not worth the time, or wishing for a sign in their current occupation, Fitzgerald draws back each word and action to one common theme. All the talk about unattainable goals and failed attempts to clench this dream makes you wonder if it really is achievable at all. The characters of this book believe that it is reachable, but they all seem to be stuck in the past. What is the American Dream? Is it the achievement of many awards? Is it owning large quantities of material objects? Does this dream mean climbing to the next rung on the ladder of success? To many or most these definitions may be so. However, it seems that FItzgerald may also be telling us that the real American Dream is first the privilege of having the opportunity to realize these dreams. When we do we achieve or earn some level of success, what then do we do with it? Do we let the dream consume us, or do we gather up the responsibility for other’s lives and share the dream? Fitzgerald uses symbols such as the eyes on the billboard, the color yellow, and distant green lights to pinpoint the direction we should aspire to take in regards to this dream. The American Dream is real, and you can form it into whatever you put your mind to. However, we must always remember