Controlling Time in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the themes of the nature of time and memory through Gatsby’s attempts to recreate the past and control his own story. In the article “The Language of Time in The Great Gatsby,” Tony Magistrale and Mary Jane Dickerson claim that “Gatsby strains the power of the imagination and the limits of language to re-create the past and his own version of the world through the language he selects.” According to the writer, Gatsby uses imagination and words to recreate the past and reshape his world. Gatsby then fails because he won’t accept that his dream can’t last forever, and that things will inevitably change. While it’s true that Gatsby manipulates language and imagination …show more content…
Gatsby’s failure to see the truth about relationships leads to his downfall; he doesn’t understand that people change and love isn’t like it always was in the past. Additionally, Gatsby’s inability to deal with relationships is worsened by his relentless pursuit of the American Dream. In Gatsby’s mind, achieving success and wealth is linked to winning Daisy’s affection, therefore achieving happiness for himself. However, Fitzgerald suggests that Gatsby’s narrow definition of success blinds him to the true meaning of human connections. “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (5) Gatsby’s fixation on material wealth rather than approaching the girl himself shows his belief that love and happiness can be attained through material possessions. This way, Fitzgerald suggests that such beliefs are flawed, as they prioritize superficiality over genuine emotional fulfillment. Moreover, Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of wealth and status makes him lose sight of what