The Great Gatsby - Monday, March 23rd

The Great Gatsby

Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat…the redeeming things are not “happiness and pleasure” but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle.”
- Letter, October 5, 1940, to his daughter, Frances

I choose the above quote from Fitzgerald because I think this describes Gatsby’s life and his acquaintances. I use the word acquaintance because I believe that he didn’t have any real friends - a reason for him being cheated in life, in spite of his wealthy status. I feel that you need people and friends more than materials things. It’s ironic how we wish for more money and objects and think that this will make us happy. Yet, here is a story of one man’s life who had material riches, but longed for something that he couldn’t have, someone he loved, someone that would have made his life complete.

The quote tells us about “redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure”. As I explained above, materials things don’t always fill our need for happiness. Yes, we have pleasure in having money, or a new car, or nice clothes, but are we really happy? Do we still feel empty? Like something is missing? Gatsby felt this way. He longed for Daisy, but was not sure how she felt. Did she ever think about him as he thought about her? I think that in the short time before his death, was probably the happiest that Gatsby was for a long time. He was able to enjoy his wealth because he could share it with Daisy. That’s what made him complete.

Gatsby’s struggle in life was to once again be with Daisy. However, due to her marital situation, he believed this was never possible. How good he must have felt when she agreed to have the affair with him, in spite of being married. Gatsby must have felt that Daisy had some feelings for him which is why he took the blame for the car accident that killed Myrtle, which resulted n the murder of Gatsby.