How Does Fitzgerald Use Time In The Great Gatsby

Kenny Nguyen

English 11 Honors

Mr. Hayes

May 31, 2023

Prompt - Discuss how Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald uses time as a theme in Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby - Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby was written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald dealing with protagonists Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald wrote the novel with the sense by which he portrays messages of the American Dream and how it may not seem like what most people would think it would be. The setting takes place in the East Egg, West Egg, the Valley of ashes, and New York City. This correlates to the American Dream because of how people are separated and divided into areas based on wealth. The West Egg represents newly rich people - hard-earned wealth.

Fitzgerald uses Daisy as a way to portray the idea of the past because of her relationships with Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. When in a relationship with Jay Gatsby she was truly in love, however, when Gatsby left her for the war she had to move on. Five years later, she was married to Tom Buchanan in which she tried to move on from Gatsby. For instance, in The Gatsby, Daisy says: “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it,” (14). This quote elucidates the idea in Daisy is stuck in the past, she's focused on a certain period and can’t focus on the present. Since most of Daisy’s memory is trapped in the past, it shows that she hasn’t really moved on, and still loves Gatsby. She doesn’t love Tom Buchanan, and only married him in the sense of how they both resemble the East Egg ideology of nobility. Another example is when Daisy says: “I did love him once—but I loved you too,” (142). This quote explains the idea in Daisy can still not forget Gatsby for what he has done, in which she still loves him. However, she also loves Tom which puts her in a cynical position on who she loves the most. This shows that Daisy still can’t get over Gatsby and is “stuck in the past”. Fitzgerald using Daisy as a way to portray the past is crucial through the idea that it supports the theme. It supports the theme saying that there are people that are always focusing on the past, thinking about what they could’ve done differently to make the outcome better. Furthermore, this idea can be taken further to modern-day society. This is because many people tend to always be stuck in the past, always focusing on what could’ve changed to make the outcome better. For example, taking a test; one could always be thinking about how if they chose a different answer, their score could’ve been better.