Haley Smith AP English lll Garner February 9, 2023 Jay Gatsby’s Obsessive Dream The American Dream defined, is the ideal by which the equality of opportunity is available to any American, which allows the highest desires and goals to be achieved. This is the overarching theme of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The novel highlights the opportunities and oppression of the 1920s while also displaying the deluded character to which the book earns its name. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald develops a character in Jay Gatsby, whose misinterpretation of the American Dream leads to his downfall. Jay Gatsby creates a distorted reality because of his flawed interpretation of the American Dream. He displays this when he responds to Nick, “Can’t repeat …show more content…
His entire life is centered around his love for Daisy. “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 78). This gives insight on Jay’s thought process and his life’s goal. He throws extravagant parties across the bay from Daisy’s house just to get her attention; He misses his love so much that he stares at the dock and watches these soirees from the backseat just to see if Daisy miraculously shows up. “Gatsby, who nonetheless feels married to Daisy, believes that he lost her because he was poor; he sets out to recover her. He becomes rich through his connection with Meyer Wolfsheim and purchases a mansion across the bay from the Buchanan’s house, where he hosts lavish parties in the expectation that Daisy will attend one of them” (Bruccoli 10). Gatsby has done everything to get her back, he even convinced her to tell her husband that she has never loved him, even though she has. Gatsby time and time again manipulates Daisy into falling back in love with him when he knows she has already moved on. Though, the reader can not help but notice his love turned obsession with Daisy. He is constantly staring at her house longing to be with her. “Nick sees Gatsby “standing with his hands in his pockets regarding the silver pepper of the stars" Or so Nick thinks. Gatsby sees no stars—natural if romantic lights—but worships the artificial green light at the end of Daisy's doc” (Seitars 12). Fitzgerald adds the detail of the green light at the end of Daisy’s doc to symbolize money, specifically the riches that Gatsby fell in love with. Jay chases Daisy and longs for her love because to him, she is wealth and class. Jay is not so much in love with Daisy as he is in love with luxury. The Great Gatsby deep down is still the little kid from out west who came from nothing and built a legacy. Fitzgerald gives a sense of character