Time In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald serves as a criticism to those who harbour an unbalanced relationship with the past and present. An unbalanced relationship with time defines one who focuses excessively at one point in time. Through the theme of time, the novel exposes the perils of those who cling to the past and those who focus heavily on the present. By exploring Jay Gatsby’s pursuit of the past seen through the symbolism of the changing seasons, Fitzgerald reveals an accentuation of one point in time that results in death and loss. Daisy Buchanan, through her disregard of the future, cautions readers on the risk of impulsivity. In contrast, Fitzgerald commends Nick Carraway, who both fears the future and lives in the present. Therefore

This scorching summer heat leads to a confrontation wherein Gatsby repeatedly reassures himself and those in the room that “[Daisy] never loved [Tom]” (132). By imposing his belief onto Daisy that she never "loved'' Tom, Gatsby’s delusions about the present are made clear. His sense of reality is marred with his desire to bring back the past, a past where Tom never met Daisy and the world only accounted for the two of them. Even after Daisy admits that she had loved them both, Gatsby refuses to see a reason. Instead, he insists on being engrossed in his fantasy. Though reality dictates Gatsby, he willfully ignores the truth and resumes partaking in his dream. It was because of Gatsby’s obsession with time that allowed him to get lost within himself and spoil his potential life with Daisy. Fitzgerald decisively presents Gatsby as unable to progress into the future and attain his dreams due to the past enchaining him. Furthermore, Fitzgerald signifies that the obsession with the past not only results in Gatsby’s progress and life stagnating, but reveals the negative and permanent consequences of his obsession, the past seen through summer. Even as the year proceeds to fall and the season of warmth ends, Gatsby is partaking in a

He lives in fear of the impending future, though does not let it dictate his life. Fitzgerald’s anxious diction highlights Nick’s apprehension towards the coming years. On his thirtieth birthday, Nick remarks about the “portentous, menacing road of a new decade,” the end of an era (136). The “menacing” descriptor adds to Nick's pessimism of the future, creating a sense of fright of how Nick feels about his future The “road” defines how Nick views the future and thus the new decade, a linear progression inevitable in its outcome. However, his resignation does not affect him. Instead, Nick passively observes the passage of time; though scary, a certainty. Despite his fear, Nick gains comfort from Jordan and begins to “[drive] on toward death through the cooling twilight” (137). Nick heading towards “death” further indicates the inescapability of the future as death is unavoidable. Additionally, the word “death” still exhibits Nick’s perception of time, though he now does not dread its progression. This can be signified through Fitzgerald's use of serene imagery in the “cooling twilight,” which showcases Nick’s acceptance of the looming future and visualises him moving on. Notably, Nick is the only character who avoids major tragedy, suggesting that Fitzgerald endorses his balanced approach to time. Gatsby's relentless pursuit of the past leads to his tragic demise, leaving his dream unrealized.