Love And Obsession In The Great Gatsby

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The line between love and obsession is often blurred. It is difficult for a person to know what he or she is feeling. Often a feeling can be misinterpreted to be something it is not. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy Buchanan, he is clinging to the past, desperately trying to relive the romance of his youth. His obsession is demonstrated on multiple occasions throughout the novel. Gatsby’s change in manner, his decisions, and his actions all revolve around Daisy and his dream to relive what he missed in his youth.

Essentially Gatsby wants to give Daisy the life she deserves. In their youth, Gatsby was in reality, James Gatz, a poor soldier who had nothing to offer to the girl who already had everything. So, logically
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Gatsby wanted this so she became his target for “love.” Daisy is described to be “the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known” (Fitzgerald 148). The word nice is not being used to describe her personality or her attitude. It’s being used to describe her materialistically. It is also said that “It excited Gatsby, that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes” (Fitzgerald 149). To Gatsby, Daisy was now an object that he could add to his collection of luxurious items. When he tried to earn her “love” again, he presented her with material objects. He outdid himself at tea, showed her his marvelous house filled with treasures and ornate decorations all to impress her. The love that might have been present at one point is now all gone. Only his obsession to be the best remains.

Gatsby did everything possible to win Daisy back. He went as far as selling illegal alcohol, to become a millionaire, to acquire the social position necessary to be accepted by Daisy. He was obsessed with Daisy, but that does not mean that he was not capable of love. He did love her when they were young, but things changed. Gatsby changed, when he became a new person he lost the pure unadulterated love he had for her. He is dishonest and flawed, but he still capable of love. He loves his new lifestyle, he loves that he is rich, and he loves the idea of achieving his

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