Essay on Jay Gatsby’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby

Jay’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby America is a land of opportunity and hopes and dreams can become reality. The American Dream consists of the notion that the struggling poor can achieve financial success through hard work. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, puts this premise to the test while also warning against the dangers of believing too passionately in any dream. The central character, Jay Gatsby, proves a tragic hero who succeeds financially but fails emotionally when he attempts to hold onto something from the past(Mizener 126). Gatsby not only possesses imaginative dreams, but also idealistic illusions. These illusions eventually result in the unfortunate downfall of Jay Gatsby.†¦show more content†¦Not a second passes that Gatsby does not obsess about what could have been had things worked out differently five years before. Jay Gatsbys current state is one of emptiness and despair because he fails to live in the present by dwelling too much in the past. Gatsby and Daisy are alike in the fact that both carry well-forgotten dreams from age to age (Fitzgerald 143), but Daisy has moved on with her marriage to Tom, while Gatsby is left stretching out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way (Fitzgerald 25). Gatsby finally musters the courage to become reunited with Daisy Buchanan, with the help of his next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway. Nick holds tea at his house and invites the unsuspecting Daisy. For a few minutes at least, the two connect with passionate intensity, but Nick makes the observation that: There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart (Fitzgerald 101). Gatsby finds himself with Daisy again, yet will not accept that they are not meant to beShow MoreRelatedF. Scott Fitzgerald s Life And Death Product Of An Illusion1161 Words   |  5 PagesRestrepo Mrs. Linn Honors English July 19, 2016 Gatsby’s life and death product of an illusion The majority of people in this world live a life that could possibly be a product of an illusion. An illusion could possibly ruin the lives of many people, by making the people live a life full of lies and dishonesty. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a fictional, dramatic novel. 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As a result, I have concluded that F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, although still displays the overarching theme that is the American Dream it, in fact, portrays ‘The disintegration of the American dream’ through the character that is Jay GatsbyRead MoreEssay on The Great Gatsby Research Report1248 Words   |  5 Pagesembraced his newly minted celebrity status and embarked on an extravagant lifestyle that earned him a reputation as a playboy and hindered his reputation as a serious literary writer†(F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography 2). The parties thrown by Jay in The Great Gatsby reflect Fitzgerald’s extravagant lifestyle. Excessive amounts of drinking, large crowds, parties lasting long into the night all took place at one point during Fitzgerald’s life. â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, were guilty of many