The Great Gatsby - 2013 Movie/Book Essay

"The Great Gatsby"

“Pursuit of the Past: Love and Happiness”

Our past experiences shapes and molds our lives directly and indirectly, it makes us who we today and will become. Our memories are so impactful that we revisit them several times in our lives. The experiences teaches us lessons about pleasure and pain, good and bad, right and wrong, love and hate. As useful as the past may be, it is be equally destructive. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book “The Great Gatsby”, a central and repeating lesson is Jay Gatsby’s desire to complete his present by bringing back the past, to a period when he was happy and complete. The temptations of Gatsby’s idealism is seen by Nick Caraway and Daisy Buchanan; they want to join him in his world, but instead remain grounded in reality (Voegeli). While desperately pursuing the unattainable past, Gatsby loses perception of his present reality. Gatsby holds on to this endless chase failing to ever realize that he has no future because he can’t let go of his past.

Gatsby’s obsession is shown early on when Nick witnesses him alone at the end of his dock late at night, “he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light [...]” (Fitzgerald 20). The light is so close, but always just out of reach; this demonstrating the desperation of Gatsby’s attempt to obtain the past; the unattainable. The green light is a representation of Daisy; a glimmering light of hope in a sea of darkness, guiding him to happiness. The water, a vast abyss, a dark obstacle with hidden dangers that Gatsby creates because of his unavailing pursuit of the past. Nick admires this about Gatsby, how his innocence and purity remains; this is because of his single-minded pursuit of Daisy ("The Great Gatsby").

Gatsby‘s last moments of happiness and love occur while he is with Daisy before experiencing...