Jay Gatsby is a unique literary character that is indicative and representative of many of the major symbolic themes that are present in the work The Great Gatsby. His character is used as a sociological symbol for society during that period, as well as the cultural attitudes towards the attainment of overall wealth and happiness. His character is the embodiment for the desire of upward mobility, as well as the ability to connect to a world that in many ways has been long lost. By analyzing the internal nature that is associated with this character, one can have a greater appreciation of the themes in the story. There themes are used to show the underlying principles that Fitzgerald was trying to convey to the reader, becoming a unrealistic representation of the pursuit of the American Dream at all costs. Jay has an internal conflict with his past which stimulates his urge and desire to live the American Dream which inevitably contributes to his downfall.
Discussion
One of the major underlying themes that drives Jay Gatsby is the desire to live the American Dream. This is a phenomenon that is present, which causes him to pursue a lifestyle that fails
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In many ways he is a product of societal conditioning, basing his idea of what would define happiness on the continual pursuit of wealth related matters. In the end he projects this desire onto Daisy, who herself is a person that is not connected with reality. What ensues is a fruitless pursuit of shallow immorality, and the ability to find and quantify true happiness. It is an issue that truly shows the character of Gatsby and the insecurities that drive him to pursue a narrow and shallow interpretation of what defines the American Dream. These insecurities are based upon the internal conflict that he has with his past, and his desire to live the American Dream which inevitably contributes to his