Literature essay critically analysing Gatsby's definition as an "incurable romanticist" whose mistake was to accept life at "face value"
I wrote this under test conditions in my grade 11 year and achieved 28/30 for it.
The Great Gatsby Lit Essay – Question 1
Gatsby as an “incurable romanticist” whose mistake was to accept life at “face value”
Isabella Rowley (11C)
In Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, it can be seen that Jay Gatsby is in fact a romantic. He does not
understand that he loves the idea of Daisy, not her actual self, and that he lives in a dream state
attempting to make his dream a part of his reality. In addition he aims to restore the past, in order to
build his ideal future. The American Dream is a highly romanticized idea, which Gatsby pursues
throughout the novel, showing that he cannot accept the actuality of life, and thus chooses to live in
his constructed illusion.
Gatsby wants to believe that he loves Daisy, but he instead loves the idea of Daisy, and the role that
she could play in fulfilling his dream. Gatsby fails to realise that Daisy is human, as he perceives her
as “the golden girl”. He is thoroughly invested in the “colossal vitality of his illusion” that he fails to
recognize that he has constructed a seemingly perfect version of Daisy to complete his grand dream.
The reality of who Daisy is “tumbled short of his dreams” as his expectations of who she was, are
simply unrealistic. This leads him to be incredulous to the fact that she cannot choose him over Tom.
This proves that Gatsby romanticized Daisy to the point where he was in love with the idealistic
version of her, rather than her actual self.
In addition Gatsby was not able to separate reality from his dream. His “incorruptible dream” is what
motivates his entire being, as he aspires to realise something he could never achieve. Fitzgerald writes
that “the rock of the world was securely founded on a fairy’s wing” which further emphasizes that
Gatsby has blurred the lines of reality and illusion. He is determined to make his dream a reality
through his “extraordinary gift for hope”, which ultimately leads him to believe that he will have a
happy future with Daisy. He lives in “the unreality of reality” striving to realise his hopes and dreams,
which skews his perspective of the world. He romantises his life which allows him to live in a world
where his dreams are a reality. This connotes that Gatsby is indeed an incurable romantic who is
unable to understand the difference between his dream, and the reality of his life.
Furthermore, Gatsby firmly believes that he can repeat the past to create his perfect life. Nick attempts
to reason with Gatsby, saying that “You can’t repeat the past”, but Gatsby contradicts this view by
believing that “of course you can”. Gatsby fails to realise Daisy, the last piece to his unattainable
dream, no longer needs him. She has chosen another man to “shape her life”, Tom, who was more
suited to her as they are both “careless people”, believing that the status in society allows them control
over others. This reality cannot be accepted by Gatsby, as he stands “watching over nothing”, hoping
that Daisy, who has no reason to choose Gastby as her only love, still needs his support. Gatsby wants
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