Examples Of Love Induced Craziness In The Great Gatsby

Bob Dylan once said, “ You can’t be wise and in love at the same time.” Sometimes when one is in love, they do things they would not normally or they say things they would not normally say. The concept of being crazy because of love is not a new one, from Beyonce’s “Crazy in love” to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to Edward VIII abdicated the throne for Wallis Simpson, people acting unconventionally due to romantic feelings is nothing new. A common perception of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is that it is simply about the death of the American Dream, but it is much more than that. The romances of George, Myrtle, Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby clearly show that when one is in love, rich or poor, they are often driven to act crazy and without forethought. The deep-rooted love and devotion of George Wilson for his wife provides a distinct example of love-induced craziness in the novel.

When George finds out that she has been cheating on him, instead of divorcing her, beating her, or getting angry with her, he decides to fulfill her dream of getting out of the Valley of the Ashes. Desperate to make her happy, he tries to give her what she wants even though it is something that they cannot afford and never would be able to afford. George does not consider the financial burden, for he is just grasping at anything to keep his wife. Myrtle has been talking about leaving town for 10 years, so George finally taking her (131). In the wake of Myrtle’s death, George is beside himself. Seeing red, George mercilessly kills Gatsby, whom he believes was having an affair with her and killed her, without hesitation. George’s love for Myrtle makes him crazy, at least crazy enough to kill another man. Myrtle falls victim to romantic feelings leading to wild