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Great Gatsby Paradox

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The Great Gatsby highlights the main problematic peaks of the 1920s, emphasising how combatants from the war try relive the years they have lost and the silent feud between those of new money and those of old money.

Fitzgerald creates a paradox view of the story by capturing the essence of two completely different personalities and building characters upon them. The result of this paradox was the creation of conflict between the main character Jay Gatsby and the antagonist, Tom Buchanan.

Jay Gats or as we know him, Jay Gatsby is a perfect example of an idealist, optimist and a fantasist. He can be perceived as the embodiment of an over the top romance or a creepy, stalker who devotes his life dwelling on the past. My view on Jay was …show more content…

His hypocritical personality heavily impacts our view of him. We learn early on in the story that Tom is cheating on his wife with Myrtle. In an attempt to discredit Jay, Tom tries to persuade Daisy into loving him but has a hidden agenda and does not want Daisy to leave as the society will view him negatively.

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified”. Nick claims that Tom had justified his reason for telling George the assumed culprit behind Myrtle's death. I believe that Tom’s actions were aimed to discredit and humiliate Gatsby and not to ensure his wife’s protection as Nick believes. Tom had lost his lover and believed that the only way to ensure his happiness and reputation was to eliminate his rival, Gatsby.

Nick had not distinguished the difference between justice and revenge. “They’re a rotten crowd’, I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together,” tells us that Nick believed that Jay was a good man but he did not defend nor preserve Gatsby’s legacy. He did not tell Tom the truth showing us that his concern for Gatsby was very low. Nick claims he was raised in a good home and was taught morels but by not telling the truth he exposed himself as a hypocrite. Nick should've defended his friend not just for loyalty but for

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Gatsby manipulates Nick and Jordan just to try to win over Daisy. Which is selfish of him because she now has a husband and daughter. Gatsby does it all in the name of love. Gatsby truly believes that he can give Daisy the life she wants now that he’s successful and rich and wants her to be happy. While even though Tom is using Myrtle as his mistress in a way he still protects Daisy.

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At the beginning the plot was more of who was Gatsby and Tom Buchanan having an affair on Daisy. Nick then got invited to Gatsby's for one his amazing parties. Gatsby tells Jordan Baker to ask a favor of him that gets him involved in the plot. This favor is “ If you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over”(Fitzgerald 76). This quote from the book shows how Nick Carraway got put into the plot of The Great Gatsby by inviting Daisy to his house

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Gatsby couldn't even talk to her without Nick’s presence. He needed Nick to be there and when Gatsby wanted to back out he needed the support of Nick to keep him there. For what he worked so hard for I don't understand why he keeps trying to run away like child. Nick had no “idea what “this matter” was, but [Nick] was more annoyed than interested. [Nick] hadn’t asked Jordan to tea in order to discuss [Gatsby]... and for a moment [Nick] was sorry [he’d] ever set foot upon [Gatsby’s] overpopulated lawn.

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Tom was arrogant in his ways and put himself before others. Even though he claimed to be loyal to Daisy, he could not hide his mistress from everyone. Tom was a brute of a man and claimed to be part of a master race. His arrogance and neglection of Daisy and others end up getting him into trouble. Gatsby did everything out of love for Daisy and it was as if he had blinders on and could only see a future for himself with her in it.

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He leaves the two alone after realizing that they are so entranced with each other. Another example is when Nick kept all of his thoughts about the affair to himself. If he would have told Daisy, many of the problems would have been resolved. She would leave Tom for Gatsby. Then Tom could be with Myrtle instead of her tragically dying outside her husband’s shop.

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