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Introduction
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby explores the empty lives of wealthy individuals who are unable to find true happiness. The Great Gatsby can be described as a form of social commentary that, in essence, delves into the unhealthy obsession that an eccentric millionaire (Jay Gatsby) has with a person from their past (Daisy Buchanon). Despite, his wealth, power, and influence, Gatsby is, in essence, miserable since he does not seem to enjoy his life at all. He is trapped by his past and unwilling to move forward despite all the material wealth that he has accumulated (Green, 2010). As a form of social commentary, the novel seems to exemplify the old saying “not everything that glitters is gold” with the hollow emptiness of Gatsby’s life showing the lack of correlation between wealth and real happiness.
Gatsby’s Obsession with the Past
Money and influence, in the world of The Great Gatsby, is initially introduced as an ideal that people should pursue to reach their dreams; however, the novel reveals by the end that it is merely a “fool’s dream” since the accumulation of wealth does not equate into reaching your desired goals. Evidence of this can be seen from the following quote from Gatsby: “If it was not for the mist, we could see your home across the bay . . . You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock” (Fitzgerald, 1974, p. 94) . This refers to Daisy’s house which is located directly across from Gatsby’s home that he always stares at in the night. The green light is symbolic of his obsession with the dream of being with Daisy with the distance between the light and the house representing the gap between the two characters. Gatsby attempts to bridge this gap with displays of ostentatious wealth (i.e. the parties) yet, no matter how grand the party is, Daisy never comes. In essence, this represents how the trappings of wealth often do not enable a person to connect with other people since they see the money but not the person underneath.
Wealth Does not Represent What a Person Truly Is
The life of Jay Gatsby can be summarized as a complete lie since, despite throwing wild parties, he never truly participated in them, his wealth did not represent him, in fact, it hid who he truly was. One of the best quotes from the novel that truly exemplified the character of Gatsby was the following: “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception, he was faithful to the end” (Fitzgerald, 1974, p. 121). Gatsby lived a lie for several years all for the sake of an obsession with a woman from his past. His mannerisms, his displays of wealth and even the way he acted were all aspects of a persona he created to make himself more appealing to Daisy (Green, 2010). However, as the novel progresses, readers can see that while Daisy initially found Gatsby appealing, she still stuck by her husband, Tom, in the end. This shows that, despite the trappings of wealth, the arrogant and charismatic attitude and sheer confidence that Gatsby exuded, it was all useless. His lie was insufficient, lacking in any form of real longevity that would make it appealing in the long run and, as such, shows why wealth was not the solution to his obsession.[“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]
Friends and True Connections
The novel revealed that, in the end, money does not create genuine relationships resulting in an empty existence. The ending of the book showed Gatsby being buried with few, if any, people in actual attendance. This is despite the possibly hundreds of people that attended his parties over the years. What this scene shows is that wealth does not create connections between people. The attendees of the party connected with Gatsby’s wealth and not him as a person. As a result, it is not that surprising that a man that lived a lie died with few mourners present at his funeral. [Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]
Summary and Conclusion
In summary, the Great Gatsby was a form of social commentary that enabled people to see the interplay between wealth, high society, and obsession. It showed how a man could live a lie and be utterly and comprehensively alone and miserable despite being surrounded by the trappings of wealth, power, and influence. In conclusion, the novel showed that even wealthy individuals can live empty lives and cannot find the happiness they desire. This is, in essence, the central theme of the novel which helps to orient readers towards understanding the drawbacks associated with the pursuit of wealth over developing genuine connections. It hints that money will not bring you the satisfaction you desire since it is often the case that people will relate more to the money you gain than you as a person.[Click Essay Writer to order your essay]
Thesis Statement: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby explores the empty lives of wealthy individuals who are unable to find true happiness.
1st Topic Sentence: Money and influence, in the world of The Great Gatsby, is initially introduced as an ideal that people should pursue to reach their dreams; however, the novel reveals by the end that it is merely a “fool’s dream” since the accumulation of wealth does not equate into reaching your desired goals.
2nd Topic Sentence: The life of Jay Gatsby can be summarized as a complete lie since, despite throwing wild parties, he never truly participated in them, his wealth did not represent him, in fact, it hid who he truly was.
3rd Topic Sentence: The end of the novel revealed that, in the end, money does not create genuine relationships resulting in an empty existence.
Summary and Conclusion
In summary, the Great Gatsby was a form of social commentary that enabled people to see the interplay between wealth, high society, and obsession. It showed how a man could live a lie and be utterly and comprehensively alone and miserable despite being surrounded by the trappings of wealth, power, and influence. In conclusion, the novel showed that even wealthy individuals can live empty lives and cannot find the happiness they desire. This is, in essence, the central theme of the novel which helps to orient readers towards understanding the drawbacks associated with the pursuit of wealth over the developing genuine connections. It hints that money will not bring you the satisfaction you desire since it is often the case that people will relate more to the money you gain than you as a person.
Reference List
Fitzgerald, F. S. (1974). The Great Gatsby. New York: Bantam.
Green, A. M. (2010). Critical Contexts: The Critical Reception of The Great Gatsby.Critical Insights: The Great Gatsby, 39-45.
