Question Based Analysis about the Novel The Great Gatsby

    

 Essay Question: To what extent are characters disillusioned and/or satisfied with their lives (e.g., their relationships, employment, social status, wealth, families, etc.)?

Gatsby’s Dissatisfaction in The Great Gatsby

Dissatisfaction is the condition observed in those who feel that their desires are not yet fulfilled. In The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby and James Gatz could be regarded as two distinct personalities who are in a constant state of discontent. While Gatz is mainly unhappy because of monetary issues, Gatsby’s displeasure comes from him being haunted by his past and disillusioned; however, it is both who despise their family and strive for Daisy, their shared source of dismay, in delusion.

James Gatz’s dissatisfaction could be examined through his disregard for his social stratum and improsperity. Throughout the novel and in primely chapter 6, there are exemplifications of Gatz’s inclination to abandon his old-life and venture into a new one, proving that his former life standards had not satisfied him enough. First of all, in chapter 6, the readers are provided an insight on who James Gatz is and how he evolved into Jay Gatsby. It is implied that Gatz was in a ceaseless look for new opportunities that may grant him better life standards, hinting that his erstwhile life was not satisfactory. For instance, after realizing that Dan Cody’s yacht “represented all the beauty and glamour in the world” (pg. 82) for him, Gatz tries to act graciously and “smiles” (pg. 82) in order to gain Cody’s awareness, which he knows would later lead him to the life of the affluent. Gatz’s willingness to orient to his new life as Jay Gatsby is also another significant point. After setting his target, to become Jay Gatsby, Gatz relinquishes his family and his hometown; that is, retrospectively, a challenging choice and step to take for many as the bonds you have with the past may be the hardest to break. However, Gatz’s enthusiasm, and his underlying discontent, is so great, Gatz almost does not even falter on his way and is “to this conception (…) faithful to the end” (pg. 80). Furthermore, monetary affairs are one of the problems Gatz has to face in the road of becoming Gatsby. It is stated that Gatz had to do every job he found such as “clam-digging” or “salmon-fishing” that “brought him food and bed” (pg. 80). The reference to the basic requirements of humankind, “food and bed”, illustrates that Gatz strived for even the plainest living conditions. Notably, this conceptualizes Gatz’s dismay for his former life further.

Throughout the novel, Jay Gatsby’s unhappiness is underlined with allusions to him being haunted by his perplexing past and his disillusionment with Daisy. Despite having fulfilled his goal of jumping to a much higher socio-economical stratum and “becoming a new man”, Gatsby is haunted by his past. These words from Nick qualify this notion: “He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something” (pg. 90). Gatsby’s “talking a lot about the past” implies that some part of him is still stuck in the past and, thusly, has not been able to align with his new lifestyle. Moreover, Gatsby’s disillusionment is another prime factor contributing to his overall dismay. He thought, and kept thinking almost until he was decimated, that he could reach Daisy through his newly acquired money. And after all that striving, when Gatsby tried to “bribe” Daisy—by throwing off luxurious parties, flaunting all his richness by making a house tour, etc.— he realized that it did work at first; however, it can be inferred from Daisy not telephoning Gatsby at the end of chapter 8 that Gatsby’s efforts were haphazard and Tom Buchanan was the triumphant side, maintaining Daisy’s love. Therefore, it is evident enough that Gatsby should have felt himself disillusioned after recognizing that he had struggled all his life for money he expected to convince Daisy, while in fact it did not. Most significantly, when Gatsby ceased to “believe it [the telephone from Daisy] would come” (pg. 132) his perseverance, his ever-lasting contingency on his money to allure Daisy, should have multiplied his disillusionment.

Apart from the slight variations in their causes, Gatz and Gatsby share common grounds for their dissatisfactions. First of all, both of the characters despise their family’s socio-economical level and their former lifestyles. This relentless denial of identity leads them into being perplexed and vigilant for any remarks to their real past; therefore, augmenting their angst as reinforced by this instance from Gatsby and Tom’s confrontation: after Tom reveals Gatsby’s past and his illicit doings, Gatsby loses control and starts fickly “defending his name against accusations that had not been made” (pg. 110). The second positive is, both Gatz and Gatsby strive capriciously in order to acquire Daisy. Ergo, it can be concluded that they are in a vital need for a partner, signalling to their loneliness and its ensuing displeasure. Parallel with this concept, Gatz and Gatsby act deluded, speculating that they can revoke their past and recapture it at the same time. Initially, Gatz, to his delusion, believes that it is possible for him to put aside his whole past and move on with his intentions. Conversely, this is impossible as these words from Tom highlight: “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife” (pg. 106). And for Gatsby, he unrealistically presumes that past memories can be reinitiated at any time. Regardless, him thinking that way is an example of mere delusion as underlined by his unsuccessful reunion with Daisy.

To sum up, meanwhile Gatz is unhappy with his life predominantly for monetary issues and their related consequences, Gatsby’s dissatisfaction comes from more spiritual affairs. Regardless, both of these characters have some shared grounds for their discontent in the end. Above all, as seen with Gatz’s gradual evolvement into Gatsby, sometimes the conditions that cause one to be uneasy may change with respect to time; however, in similar cases, the overall state of dissatisfaction may be bound to preserve.

-Bora