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THE GREAT GATSBY

 

            Gatsby is a mysterious, fantastically wealthy young man. Every Saturday, his mansion in West Egg serves as the site of extravagant parties. While serving in the Army in World War I, Gatsby met Daisy Fay (now Daisy Buchanan) and fell passionately in love with her. He worked briefly for a millionaire, and there he became acquainted with the people and customs of high society. This, coupled with his love of Daisy, inspired Gatsby to devote his life to the acquisition of wealth. His fortune has been made through illegal activities: he has sacrificed all claims to propriety in the hopes of growing wealthy and thereby winning Daisy's love. He was killed because of his idealism, his wealth and his dreams.
             Perhaps the chief element in Gatsby's inevitable destruction is the fact that his misplaced faith in material success (as a kind of spiritual rite and proof of identity), is so intense that he ultimately believes that he can indeed re-create reality according to his heart's desire. A "magician" in a world of sordid appetite and cowardice, Gatsby's dream is doomed to failure. He cannot "regain" Daisy simply because he pursues her not really as a woman, but as an ideal. As an ideal, Daisy Buchanan--and all she represents--must vanish at the first eruption of crisis.
             Gatsby is very rich and he uses his money to buy friends. He doesn't have friends that he can trust because as soon as they see the opportunity, they"ll stab him in the back. All the people that were at his parties were not there to see him. They just wanted to have fun for free, just like everybody else does in the world. He thinks that everything is bought with money, including love and friendship, but in the end it turns out to be fake. Gatsby wants Daisy to see his house to impress her. He wants Daisy to know that he has money now, even though he didn't when they were together. He is just trying to boast of his wealth again. .
             He has one dream and that is to be with Daisy.


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