The Great Gatsby Idealism Analysis

Imagine living in a perfect world. Nothing in this world can go wrong, nothing can do you harm, and nothing is out of reach. This is the world of an idealist- a person who forms or pursues ideals unrealistically. Although this philosophy would hold its believer in a constant daze of false happiness, when reality hits, it could be devastating. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, main character Jay Gatsby is blinded by the fantasy of transforming himself into a famous figure of wealth and social status and, as a result, winning over his love, Daisy. When Gatsby fails to reach these goals, his fantasy world comes crumbling down. Therefore, Gatsby is essentially an idealist who is destroyed by his inability to accept reality.

Gatsby’s

Set in motion from the moment he saw her, Gatsby’s illusions are centered on the idea of winning Daisy’s heart. The power of Gatsby’s idolatry of Daisy is clear when he meets with her again, and the two become passionate towards one another: “He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God” (Fitzgerald 110). Clearly, Gatsby has a strong desire to be with Daisy. However, Gatsby knew that in order to join himself with Daisy, he would have to pursue her way of life as well (Rowe). This begins Gatsby’s obsessive illusions, one of which focuses on the green light on the dock outside Daisy’s mansion. To the Buchanan’s, the only meaning of this light is to allow boats to see at night, but to Gatsby, the green light is there to symbolize his distance from Daisy and his jealousy of her husband and their old money (Fitzgerald 93). Gatsby is the only person who perceives the light in this way, and because of this it is clear that “his dream of Daisy and the life she represents...is an absurd and vulgar illusion” (Way). The delusions, however, go even further than that; Gatsby convinces himself for certain that Daisy will end her marriage with Tom Buchanan to be with him, and even persuades himself into believing that she never loved her husband, but has always loved only him

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is led to his demise by his philosophy of idealism that prevents his from accepting reality. Idealism is an outlook that can lead to joy and hope, but reality cannot be escaped forever. By creating a fantasy world filled with illusions, Gatsby is given a false sense of fulfillment that allows him to continuously pursue unattainable goals with optimism. Eventually, the daze of happiness will come to an end, and the idealist will be awakened to the heartbreaks of the real world. When this occurs, and reality plagues the fantasies, the illusions are forever shattered along with he who holds them. As displayed by Gatsby, the idealist cannot survive without living under a blanket of false security. Once this blanket is lifted the world of the idealist will be left shattered and their whole self will be left