Examples Of Expectations In The Great Gatsby

Flynn Foley

Mrs. Nightingale

English 3, period 6

Feb 28, 2023

The Illusion of Expectation in American Modernism Fueled by hopes and dreams, idealistic expectations blind us from seeing the truth of our harsh reality. Some dreams can be achieved rather easily, most require immense amounts of dedication and sacrifices. Fortunately, we can determine which dreams are practical to achieve and which ones are not. The problem arises when people believe their status and wealth can allow them to do anything. An example of egotistical expectations is portrayed through Jay Gatsby’s character in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. His overwhelming wealth inflates his ego to enormous heights. His specific goal of pursuing his lost love, Daisy, blinded

A big challenge for women during this time was finding a steady form of income. It was very difficult for a woman to sustain herself because of the unequal gender roles in society. Daisy faces this obstacle when she has to make the choice between love or to be financially stable with a man she doesn't love. She holds love and wealth at the same standard, believing that both will give her a sense of happiness throughout her life. Nick comes to the realization that, “Daisy's voice is the voice of money, as Nick discovers. Her whole careless world revolves around this illusion: that money makes everything beautiful, even if it is not.” (Telgen). As Nick begins to become closer with Daisy he starts to realize the shallowness and selfishness of her character. He realizes that she only married her husband to obtain the status he had and when given the opportunity to have a more successful life she will take it. Daisy believes that money can create happiness or love, similar to her husband's beliefs. After finding out Gatsby built his mansion across from her house specifically she became incredibly more interested in Gatsby and began her affair. During her affair with Gatsby, Daisy commits vehicular manslaughter and is put before another crossroads. Her options were to continue living with Gatsby while also being in danger of the police, or she could go back to her husband, blame

When Gatsby was still serving for his country in Louisville, he came across his idea of a soulmate, Daisy. Although they only had a brief conversation Gatsby ingrained this moment into memory for the rest of his life, he was certain she was the one. This caused Gatsby to abandon his American dream and use any methods possible to obtain mass amounts of wealth, expecting her to be drawn by it. He would throw luxurious parties inviting plenty of wealthy people from New York. He was so determined to find her that he would abstain from drinking in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her. Eventually he found her and had his friend Nick invite her over for a glass of tea. Right before their reunion Gatsby is a completely different person from how he usually is portrayed in the book. No more confidence, just an overwhelming amount of nerves. Throughout the afternoon Gatsby becomes excited as well as disappointed in the girl he's been searching for. The narrator explains Gatsby’s thoughts after tea, “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams — not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion.” (Fitzgerald 77). The quote shows the extremity of Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy. The idea of this perfect woman was ingrained in Gatsby’s mind. Daisy couldn't be anything other than what he