What Is Jay Gatsby Meaningless

Adellyn White Walter HN English 10 (8) 8 May, 2024 The Great Gatsby Research paper In F Scott Fitzgerald’s Modern novel The Great Gatsby Nick happens upon a man on his knees desperately trying to capture what appears to be a green light. That man is Gatsby, a real pauper prince. He grew up on a farm with impoverished parents, but that completely changed when Dan Cody came into his life. Dan Cody taught him how to build his wealth and reputation on his own. Even though Gatsby lives a lavish life, he also lives a “meaningless and almost wholly loveless” life (Lathbury n.p). Gatsby tries to fill that void with Daisy, a girl he met before the war in her home town of Louisville. She is the love of his life; he has formed himself in the image of what he believes she would desire. While Gatsby

Daisy made Gatsby feel special and important. He wanted the golden girl who everyone wanted and has high status would prove him to be important. Being with Daisy Fay would prove he was Jay Gatsby, a man worthy of her and not James Gatz, a penniless farm boy. Gatsby revisits Louisville as if it's a grave memento to the love he and Daisy had, but instead of accepting the death, he wishes to resurrect it. He fills his head with delusions about the day Daisy will run back to him and confess her undying love. Fitzgerald uses traveling symbols to show the movement of Gatsby to obsession. As Gatsby reaches the train to leave Louisville “the track curve[s],.away from the sun” (Steinbeck 153). This shows how Gatsby moves away from Daisy Fay, the light of his life and even though he knows Daisy has left the obsession forms nonetheless. Moving away from the sun also shows how Gatsby goes into a dark headspace as he leaves Louisville. Steinbrink states, “on the train. to the East Gatsby’s longing to relive a moment in time becomes almost palpable” (n.p.). Reason and Gatsby are not together at this moment. Obsession lacks substance, fact, or