The Character of Jay Gatsby
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This paper will discuss the character of Jay Gatsby in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Specific attention will be given to the ways in which Gatsby serves as a mythical embodiment of the American dream. One way in which Gatsby represents the American dream is through his status as a self-made millionaire with a mysterious source of wealth. In addition, his quest for the love of Daisy Fay can be seen as a symbol of the quest for the American dream. In the book, Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy ends in failure because of his inability to deal with his past. Gatsby's failure in this novel can be seen as a lesson by analogy for all those in pursuit of the American dream. Thus, this paper, will show that the character, of Jay Gatsby and his quest for the love of the unattainable Daisy represent the ultimate failure of the American dream. The Great Gatsby is a novel that takes place on two levels. On one level, it is the story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby as told through the eyes of his friend and neighbor, Nick Carraway. It is the story of Jay Gatsby's corrupt past, his efforts to win back the love of Daisy Fay, his taking the blame when Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle Wilson, and his death at the hands of Myrtle's husband. On another level however, The Great Gatsby is a commentary on the American dream as Fitzgerald perceived it in the mid-1920s. In this regard, the character of Jay Gatsby can be seen as a mythical image of the American dream. J
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(Fitzgerald 111). Nevertheless, his quest for a reunion is clearly doomed from the very start. Once Daisy learns about Gatsby's corrupt past, this particular dream becomes particularly remote. Thus, Gatsby sees Daisy withdrawing into herself until "only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible" (Fitzgerald 135). Although this relates to Jay Gatsby's personal quest for Daisy, on a symbolic level this story relates to the failure of the American dream as a whole. Gatsby's failure serves as a lesson regarding the futility of either clinging to the past or trying to destroy the past. In addition, it serves as a lesson regarding the futility of clinging to an impossible desire. Gatsby could have pursued different dreams and thereby found a more meaningful resolution to his quest. The same is true with the American dream in general. The pursuit of any ambition in America is only meaningful to the extent that it provides some form of fulfillment for the seeker.
Jay Gatsby is also mythical in the fact that he has the potential for success but at the same time possesses a personal fault which helps lead to his downfall. The trait that causes Gatsby's demise is his idea
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Approximate Word count = 2594
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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