“Because what’s worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?” (James Patterson, The Angel Experiment). Imagine working for years and years with one goal in mind to work towards a dream, it overcomes all other interests it becomes a part of one's identity; however, after seeing a glimpse of this dream, that said dream is unattainable. This is an archetype of a tragic hero who is obsessed with one passion that becomes the only way one identifies oneself. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby’s overwhelming love for Daisy Buchanan consumes his whole life, everything he works towards is related to Daisy and winning her over again. These endeavors Gatsby partakes in lead to his downfall …show more content…
The appeal of the American Dream is that each person has an equal opportunity to succeed through hard work and determination. The idea that “anyone” can achieve success holds Gatsby in a chokehold, due to his accomplished success, he believes his origins do not matter. What Gatsby could not grasp was that the American Dream is a facade, the truth is that his origins do matter and his wealth could not mask the real Gatsby: “He was never quite still; there was always a tapping foot somewhere or the impatient opening and closing of a hand. He saw me looking with admiration at his car. “It’s pretty, isn’t it, old sport?”” (Fitzgerald 50). Nick’s observation highlights Gatsby’s restlessness and nervousness as he fidgets with his hands and feet, indicating he does not know what to do with himself. Those who are born with money tend to stay …show more content…
Unfortunately, these great attributes are also his tragic traits. As Gatsby is a hopeless romantic, he uses his wealth to attract his long-lost love, Daisy, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.” (Fitzgerald 61). Gatsby’s persistent measures to get Daisy’s attention, such as buying a mansion across from her house and throwing loud, night-long parties, reflect his greatness as he does it all in the name of love. Said parties also showcase that he is living in the moment with his accomplished riches, which presents him as having an extravagant lifestyle. However, despite the charms of Gatsby’s deeds to win Daisy back, they are flawed as she moved on and is a wife and mother to another man. His achievement of the American Dream also possesses its imperfections as it is proven that money and social status are incapable of fulfilling true love and happiness, regardless of Gatsby’s vast wealth and grand gestures. The perfect life Gatsby lives was truly imperfect but he was too caught up in his facade to notice these fatal flaws that lead to his