Codependency In The Great Gatsby

en Codependency and Independence
In death, grief, hardships, but also contentment we rely on our closest companions for emotional support, but what happens when that connection is severed? In the novel, A Separate Peace, John Knowles demonstrates the consequences of being involved in a codependent relationship with the complicated friendship of two best friends, Gene and Finny. The strain a codependent relationship can cause is further portrayed in the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald which depicts Jay Gatsby’s obsessions with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. Intimate, meaningful relationships are vital to a healthy emotional balance, however, when this reliance becomes overwhelming it can develop into a negative, interdependent

His dependence on Daisy’s validation blinds him to the flaws of Daisy’s careless, self-absorbed character. Gatsby’s desire for validation stems from the belief that his fictitious backstory, filled with wealth and status will tempt Daisy. Gatsby’s unawareness of Daisy’s lack of character is similar to Finny’s inability to see Gene desperately clinging to him for emotional guidance. Regarding these two examples, it is vital to recognize that codependency only exists when one party in a codependent relationship is oblivious to the other’s lack of identity without them. Daisy’s obsession with Gatsby’s wealth influences his increasing dependence on growing his wealth to constantly engage Daisy, and not his character as he has become entirely unaware of Daisy’s placed importance on materialistic values rather than taking an interest in Gatsby’s personality, “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” (Fitzgerald 110). Gatsby’s painstaking efforts to increase this fraudulent facade reflect the false pedestal he’s placed Daisy on, who is in reality, incredibly shallow, "‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the think folds'" (Fitzgerald 98). In The Great Gatsby, Daisy does not weep for

More importantly, you’ll resent them while feeling like you can’t live without them or like they can’t live without you” (Signs of Codependency). As this resentment builds up, feelings of envy and disappointment arise. This is certainly true in the case of the two characters, Gene and Gatsby. Gene’s description of a rivalry with Finny is untrue as Finny had been nothing but compassionate; instead of realizing this Gene’s resentment for his own dependence on Finny snowballs into loathing, “The joking manner was a screen; I believed him... Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies... I felt better. Yes, I sensed it like the sweat of relief when nausea passes away; I felt better… The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all” (Knowles 53-54). Because Gene is unable to accept the fact that he is the problem, he blames those around him, creating a false rivalry to try to suppress his feelings of jealousy. In Gatsby’s case, the situation is slightly different because Gatsby’s blinding love for Daisy has made him think that she can’t do any wrong, therefore there is no resentment towards her. However, this resentment is then redirected to Daisy’s husband, Tom who Gatsby thinks is unworthy to be married to her, “‘Your wife doesn’t love you,’ said Gatsby quietly. ‘She’s never loved