Why Is Jay Gatsby Relevant Today

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most praised American novels, even now almost a century after its publication. Its thematic concepts and characters are still relevant in today’s society and are likely to continue for decades. One significant character that has left his footprint in American literature and culture is the one of Jay Gatsby. His rich character is known for his wealth, parties, and made up past which has made him an icon in American literature. What people do not seem to know is how complex Jay Gatsby was. Jay Gatsby has three sides to him; the poverty-stricken boy with the dream, the famous millionaire, and the hopeless romantic. All of these brought together, make up who Jay Gatsby exactly is. It is also …show more content…
Whether being James Gatz or Jay Gatsby, it was the same man who was hopelessly in love even if the person whom he was in love with was not a very decent person. Gatsby, similar to many people who are in love, would have done anything for his love, Daisy. Since she came from a very wealthy family and he was not very wealthy at all when they met he imposed on himself to do whatever he had to do to get on top. Enough was not enough, he was driven to be great, he was compelled to be good enough for her. However once he became wealthy, it was too late and thus she became the dream and so he admired her from afar. When Gatsby meets Daisy his entire motives were shifted and no longer was Gatsby after the Franklinian dream, but rather an Emersonian dream which consisted of a desire for meaningful life and relationships. Gatsby was caught in between by making Daisy a symbol of what his life was supposed to be like. He became obsessed with “the dazzle of the dream leaves his eyes too weak to gaze on ordinary life” (Barbour). It was there where he became lost in his own dream, trying to repeat the past that has already left, and even when he had the chance to obtain his dream to an extent, he was not satisfied. His deep obsession with Daisy, and his dream was so fixed in his head that it proved the point that “the Emersonian dream runs the danger that the dreamer may be transfixed by his end” (Barbour). Gatsby had the chance to run away with Daisy and have the life that they yearned for, away from the complications that occurred while being in New York, however he refused. As the novel concludes, Daisy goes back home to Tom in her filthy rich house and cut Gatsby out of her life. Her behavior at this moment reflects on him. Even Nick, who was her cousin and a bystander to the chaos said, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed