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The Great Gatsby (Gatsby As A Tragic Hero (Gatsby wants to be able to…
The Great Gatsby
Gatsby As A Tragic Hero
Gatsby has a naive and desperately romantic dream of reliving his past life with Daisy, even though she is married. He sets himself up for a tragic outcome from the very start. Gatsby wants to pretend the last five years have not happened, tries to reinvent Daisy in his own mind and by trying to live out his dream fails to see any weaknesses Daisy poseses until near the end of the novel ''Her eyes were full of money''
Gatsbys dream is unrealistic and too idealistic. He makes misjudgements about how Daisy should act. It is not enough for Gatsby to hear that Daisy loves him now, he wants to hear that she loved him despite the five years she spent married to Tom. ''“Can’t repeat the past?” He cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!” ''“I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before,” he said, nodding determinedly. “She’ll see.”
Gatsby wants to be able to control time and act as though the past did not occur ''"Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand."
The clock acts as symbolism. It is a physical representation of time. One of Gatsbys flaws is that he is able to move forward with his life, he is constantly trying to grasp at the past. Grabbing the clock so it does not break could be a representation of how he wants to hold on to his memories of Daisy and make them the now. Gatsby wants to erase the past 5 years of Daisys life and pretend they did not happen, and carry on like normal. His breaking of the clock is a representation for this.
The clock can also symbolise how temporary things are, What Gatsby fails to realise is that things have to move on. His unrelenting obsession to recreate the past can only lead to unhappiness. The clock breaking just before he is reintroduced to Daisy signifies how all things are temporary and eventually reach their own end
Gatsby fantasises Daisy, and this stops him from being able to focus on his own life, make any important decisions or to move on. Gatsby's dream focuses on all the wrong things and ultimately end up destroying him
Gatsby is first presented to us through the sympathetic Narrator of Nick Carroway. ''There was something gorgeous about him'' He goes through a period of being the son of ''shiftless and unsuccessful farm people'' to being a rags to riches hero. He really is elevated to be ''Great'' . The colossal effort he goes to in order to achieve his dream are extravagant - making his demise that more tragic.
Similarly to Richard, Gatsby's overall wealth is one based on corruption. His obsession to win back Daisy is so strong he is prepared to do anything, including breaking laws. He buys up drug stores which sell alcohol (This was illegal in the 1920's)
Gatsby ultimately realises the Idea of his American Dream is a myth. Thomas Jeffersons idea that anyone can achieve anything regardless of their background is disproven. Gatsby is bound by his class origins. He is new money, and when his riches are stripped away he is ''Mr. nobody from nowhere'' Daisy was part of a world that would always exclude him
Thomas Jefferson: whose idea of the American Dream was focused on the pursuit of happiness - which is key to Gatsby's story. All people are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone should be able to achieve anything regardless of their background
The Great Gatsby's itself can be seen as a pessimistic critique of the concepts of the American Dream. Gatsby's idea of the American Dream is an unrealistic one. ''James Gatz'' is able to move forward, become wealthy and attain new money in west egg - only to be ultimately rejected by ''old money''. He ends up dying as a result of his pursuit of Daisy and their carelessness in regard for him
An idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. Fitzgerald critiques the idea that America is a meritocracy (a society governed by people selected according to merit)
where anyone can rise to the top with enough hard work.
James Adams, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.” Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity.
Aspects Of Tragedy
The end of Gatsby's story is meant to have an impact of Pathos over the reader as we feel sympathy is Daisy's abandonment of him and how he is left to die alone. His punishment seems unfair, he is wrongfully guilty for a crime he doesn't commit, however, he again only does this to help him achieve his dream. We feel pity for him as there is few attendees at his funeral. Again, further solidifying the idea of Fitzgerald that the American dream is a false one. Gatsby is left as a nobody in this society without his wealth.
Gatsby can be classified as a classical tragic hero . He is the victim of circumstances outside of his own control. Daisy & Toms carelessness aswell as Toms malice.
Gatsby feels he has to take responsibility over Myrtles death even though it is not his fault, because of the woman he loves. He ultimately is abandoned and then has to suffer the consequences
Hubris
Arguably one flaw both Richard and Gatsby share is there excessive pride. Gatsby overly flaunts his wealth through his extravagant and expensive parties. He flaunts his wealth to Daisy showing her his ''colossal mansion'' and ''expensive shirts'' in efforts to win her back. Gatsby is under the impression money can buy him happiness, and will eventually help his dream come true. Similarly, Richard has excessive hubris in his role as king, he thinks he has a God Given right to the throne, so acts how he likes, over taxing his people and believing he will not have to face consequences.
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