Why Do People Repeat The Past In The Great Gatsby

People often imagine reliving their best moments and memories from their past for satisfaction. Although, it has became true that a person can’t repeat or recreate their past because it will only lead to sorrow and destruction. “Humans seek comfort in the familiar. Freud called this repetition compulsion, which he famously defined as “the desire to return to an earlier state of things” (Dename, Psych Central 1). Events that have happened in the past may occur again, but are never repeated exactly how they once were; there are always going to be different circumstances lying around the event that will change it. The Great Gatsby (1925), written by F. Scott Fitzgerald has a occasional theme of time. One of the main characters in this book is

Some may wish this dream became reality, however, the past cannot be repeated simply because circumstances change, and people are not the same as they once were. In Jay Gatsby’s case, he is reassuring himself that he can go back to the past and fix a mistake that he’s made. This is shown when Gatsby and his “old sport” Nick are having a conversation, and they argue “You can’t repeat the past.” “Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can” (110)! Gatsby is firmly set on the idea that the love that had existed 5 years prior between him and Daisy will come back around. Blind to the fact that she has a bold desire for Tom as well, he basically revolves his life around this idea and assumes that him and Daisy will fall back in love all over again. Amy Rees Anderson, in the article People Can Change Their Past- Put Mistakes Behind You claims “We can easily get sucked into a never-ending state of dwelling on our past mistakes, reliving them in our head, and feeling like a constant failure” (Anderson, 3), which Gatsby had done so when he lost his one true love after being sent out to serve in the World War. Since Gatsby was a “poor” boy when his true love romance had existed between him and Daisy, this made Daisy’s decision of how she wanted nothing to do with him became very

Shannon Doyne, author of Do You Wish You Could Return to Moments From Your Past? states “In society at large, however, nostalgia [yearning for the past] can distort our understanding of the world in dangerous ways, making us needlessly negative about our current situation. This is important to consider because it shows that attempting to recreate the past can lead to chaotic situations. Gatsby is so insistent on the idea that Daisy will stroll back into his life that he became blinded by the love he has for her, and would do absolutely anything for her. With that being said, Gatsby unknowingly lets Daisy take the wheel of his car. While driving, a woman by the name of Myrtle Wilson, unexpectedly runs out in front of the moving car and is instantly killed. Instead of stopping to inspect the scene, frightened Daisy continues to drive, leaving the scene in which is further recognized by others as a hit-and-run. Nevertheless, Gatsby did not want Daisy to be punished with the consequences, so he takes the matters into his own hands. This is shown when Nick asks Gatsby if “[She] Was Daisy Driving?” and Gatsby replies “Yes, but of course I’ll say I was” (143, Fitzgerald). The fact that Gatsby is putting himself at the risk of being punished by the consequences, when it is his lover that is guilty, portrays the fact that attempting to relive your past can lead to large amounts