Examples Of Obsession In The Great Gatsby

Gatsby’s Obsessive and Compulsive Spirit

In life, everyone develops the human nature of obsession no matter how large or minute it is. Obsession could be over something like an object or item, a dream, a philosophy, or even someone meaningful. Jay Gatsby finds himself in a parallel situation when pursuing the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. The psychological lens is apparent in this book because it focuses on the motivation of certain characters. It communicates what is going on inside of the character’s mind so the reader can create better analytical judgements. This lens also observes the patterns of behavior, speech, and interaction to dive deeper into what an individual is thinking. Through the psychological lens, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jordan unveils this by saying, “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night…asking people casually if they knew her” (Fitzgerald 79). This quote indicates that throughout all the years Gatsby threw his luxurious parties, he only ever wanted to impress one person dear to his heart. Getting Daisy Buchanan back in his life was the only task motivating him to create his wealthy empire. Mr. Gatsby became so obsessed with chasing after his dream that he would ask other partygoers if they knew Daisy. He would then construct his lavish home to look perfect for social gatherings with the undying hope his past lover would emerge. Consequently, Mr. Gatsby’s actions also indicated proof of a disorder he faced on the

The author discloses information on how an individual, “becomes trapped in a pattern of repetitive thoughts and behaviors that are senseless and distressing but extremely hard to overcome” (Strock). This disorder is exceedingly evident in Mr. Gatsby’s life because he ordered his entire life around reaching his own American Dream. The only reason he changed his name and went along with his whole charade was to flaunt his wealth to Daisy, since he had been impecunious before. Because his obsession was so extreme he resorted to negative methods, like bootlegging, to achieve his vision even quicker. Jay Gatsby completely fell under the spell of OCD and permitted his feelings to consume him on a daily basis. Furthermore, we also get a glimpse of how Gatsby genuinely thinks and feels in the story’s