gatsbys self destruction
Jackelyn Tejada
August 25, 2014
AP English Language and Composition
G Block
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, it may seem like Daisy’s selfishness and Nick’s nurturing of Gatsby’s obsession for her are the reason for Gatsby’s down fall. And although it is true that they did contribute to it, ultimately it was Gatsby’s obsession with daisy, his illusion and the past that caused his own destruction. Daisy Buchanan is a complex character in this novel whose happiness is maintained by the luxuries she gets from her husband, Tom Buchanan, and still for some strange reason Jay Gatsby is completely in love with her. She has all of the qualities that Gatsby desires, but she is incapable of fulfilling his desire for life-long love. Gatsby knows that Daisy has an obsession with materialistic objects so he tries to earn more money in hopes that one day Daisy may return his love. Because of Daisy’s inability to forget the past and lack of courage to leave Tom, her and Gatsby will never be able to have a decent relationship. Throughout the novel, Gatsby’s shows that he would stop at nothing to have Daisy but in his pursuit of attracting Daisy through glamour and extravagance he himself becomes just as shallow and erodes him. Gatsby’s self-destruction seems to also be caused by his inability to see beyond the illusions he has created. Fitzgerald writes "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion." Gatsby had made his own persona and his own reasons for loving Daisy. This caused him to become oblivious to the reality of Daisy’s situation with Tom and her daughter. He makes up excuses for the characteristics that Daisy lacks but he desires. And so Gatsby falls in love with his own illusion and becomes unaware of what is truly going on. In the novel, Gatsby notices that many things have changed in Daisy’s life that separate them even
August 25, 2014
AP English Language and Composition
G Block
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, it may seem like Daisy’s selfishness and Nick’s nurturing of Gatsby’s obsession for her are the reason for Gatsby’s down fall. And although it is true that they did contribute to it, ultimately it was Gatsby’s obsession with daisy, his illusion and the past that caused his own destruction. Daisy Buchanan is a complex character in this novel whose happiness is maintained by the luxuries she gets from her husband, Tom Buchanan, and still for some strange reason Jay Gatsby is completely in love with her. She has all of the qualities that Gatsby desires, but she is incapable of fulfilling his desire for life-long love. Gatsby knows that Daisy has an obsession with materialistic objects so he tries to earn more money in hopes that one day Daisy may return his love. Because of Daisy’s inability to forget the past and lack of courage to leave Tom, her and Gatsby will never be able to have a decent relationship. Throughout the novel, Gatsby’s shows that he would stop at nothing to have Daisy but in his pursuit of attracting Daisy through glamour and extravagance he himself becomes just as shallow and erodes him. Gatsby’s self-destruction seems to also be caused by his inability to see beyond the illusions he has created. Fitzgerald writes "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion." Gatsby had made his own persona and his own reasons for loving Daisy. This caused him to become oblivious to the reality of Daisy’s situation with Tom and her daughter. He makes up excuses for the characteristics that Daisy lacks but he desires. And so Gatsby falls in love with his own illusion and becomes unaware of what is truly going on. In the novel, Gatsby notices that many things have changed in Daisy’s life that separate them even