An Analysis Of Jay Gatsby's My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close

Jay Gatsby’s life closed twice before his end. The poem “My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close” parallels Gatsby’s life in multiple ways. In both Gatsby’s life and Emily Dickinson’s life there are events that “close” their life upon two occasions. Both of their lives are left unassured if a third event will close their lives again, this time possibly for good. Gatsby and the narrator of the poem are left baffled as to how such egregious events occurred, upon two occasions. Finally, they both feel the pain after the parting of loved ones. A comparison will be made between Gatsby’s life and the life represented in the poem. In Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close” parallels the character of Jay Gatsby, from The Great Gatsby, in several ways. Both Gatsby and Dickinson experienced events that seemingly “closed” their life upon two occasions. There was always the question whether a third event could “close” their lives again, this time possibly for good. Both …show more content…
Emily shows the feeling of unsurety of how such cataclysmic events could occur in her life, such as the death of her lover and family. Gatsby also shows these feelings, but his emotions are more of denial. Gatsby does not want to believe that Daisy left him during the time he was away fighting. Gatsby desires to return to the old days as he expressed by saying, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”(116) This statement shows how Gatsby wants to ignore the first event and return to the more pleasant past. Not only this, but Gatsby tries to make sense of what Daisy did by saying, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me”(137). These quotes give light to how it was hopeless for Gatsby to try to conceive that Daisy left him to be with Tom. Gatsby and Emily both had events in their lives that they did not or could not believe actually