Nathalya Leon

17 May 2019

Recover Something Lost: “The Great Gatsby”

In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” F. Scott Fitzgerald creates the impossible relationship

between Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby to suggest that amidst the pursuit to recover one's own

past, one can lose sight of their current reality and learn that people are not reliable. One should

not place their dreams on others, for you can only count on yourself.

The man who seemingly had it all, Gatsby, “talked a lot about the past, and [Nick] gathered

that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving

Daisy.” Fitzgerald uses Nick’s point of view to illuminate that Gatsby was never satisfied with

his material wealth. He lived in a lavish mansion but had not a soul to share it with it. He was

lonely, solely wealth could not bring a lasting fulfillment. When Jay Gatz kissed Daisy, “he

knew that...his mind would never romp again like the mind of God.” In that moment, he became

selfless. He dreamed up visions of them. From the grandiose parties to the location of his

residence, everything he did was for Daisy. Fitzgerald uses the idea of God throughout the novel

such as the eyes of Dr. Tj Eckleburg which represent the watchful eyes of God and making the

larger than life characters seem small.

In the past, Gatsby was intrigued by the way many men lusted over Daisy. When they met

again, the fact that she was married made her even more untouchable than before, adding fuel to

Gatsby’s chase. Towards the beginning of the novel, Nick sees Gatsby reaching out for a green
light in the darkness that was located at the end of Daisy’s East Egg dock. The green light

represents Gatsby's aspiration to be with Daisy. It was far off and unattainable.

Gatsby went to extremes to climb the social ladder, yet he lost it all to be with a women that

he knew he could never obtain. He couldn’t have her when he was ordinary and he couldn’t have

her when he was a man of great affluence. Through all that he did, and as close as he was to

having her, Daisy ultimately ran off with Tom Buchanan. Daisy’s own name is a representation

of herself, outwardly she seemed innocent and carefree, but inwardly she was corrupt by her own

pursuit wealth and social status. Gatsby dreamed up dreams of him and Daisy and when they

came crashing down, so did the rest of his life.