Identity In The Great Gatsby

The Lockean memory theory proposes that personal identity is the composite of our memories at different points in time, all of which are interconnected. Therefore, identity can be defined as the union of our past and present. Ayad Akhtar, author of Disgraced, speaks about Americans’ disconnect between their past and present, saying that “the central American experience is the rupture from the old world and the renewal of the self in the new world. Americans celebrate the renewal of the self and do not mourn the rupture.” In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gatsby demonstrates this, recreating himself from James Gatz into the enigmatic new tycoon Jay Gatsby. Similarly, Amir and the speaker in Natasha Trethewey's poem Letter Home recreate

Ultimately, however, all these characters fail to ascend in society, demonstrating that forsaking our past has devastating consequences. On the other hand, my father, an Indian immigrant, was able to find success in America while also retaining his identity. Although many factors that determine identity are out of our control, such as race, gender, and ethnicity, the choice lies in how we honor those memories that make up who we are. These characters and the lessons my father taught me demonstrate that in order to succeed, they must choose to unite their past and present selves.
Gatsby is a young man from North Dakota who moves east to build up a fortune, chasing wealth and renown. Gatsby first created this fantasy of himself when he was seventeen, changing his name to reflect it. Later when he meets Daisy, she becomes the incarnation of those dreams, which cannot be completely manifested

The characters are all unable escape their past selves, which demonstrates that identity is not the result of free choice. Yet, an element of choice does exist in that they choose either to embrace or refute their past. However, these literary works demonstrate that in order to be successful in historical and contemporary America they need to embrace their identity. Unlike the characters, my father did not try to recreate his identity, rather he builded on it. He therefore was able to simultaneously celebrate the rupture of the old world and the renewal of the self in the new