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The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” may initially seem like a tragic story of thwarted love between a man and a woman, but upon closer inspection it is obvious that the novel is much more than just that. The Great Gatsby is essentially a story that reveals the corruption and overall decay of what was affectionately known as The American Dream. The American Dream is described in Chapter 9 as originally being about moral values and the pursuit of happiness. In fact, it is written in the American Constitution that every individual has the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” This right appears to have taken a twisted turn in the early 1920’s. Fitzgerald portrays this time of decay of social and moral values; these values being discarded for greed and pursuit of selfish pleasure.

Jay Gatsby, the title character, is a man who more than anything craves the past. In his past, he fell in love with young Daisy and quickly became obsessed with her. The only problem, that he immediately realized, was that she would only associate or take interest in those with high social status and wealth. To gain her affection Gatsby lied about his family and social status, claiming that he was born into a wealthy family and was going to be attending Oxford after the war on their wealth. “’I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West-all dead now,’”(Page 65). Once convinced by Jay’s claims, young Daisy agreed to wait for Jay while he was out fighting the war. However soon after, Tom Buchanan, a very wealthy man from a family of established wealth and high social status, approached her. Daisy agreed to marry Tom.

While away at war, Jay Gatsby fantasized about his love and how they would be together after he returned. In his mind, Jay Gatsby made Daisy out to be someone of perfection in all areas. Eventually all of this idolizing became

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