The Great Gatsby Identity Essay

Holden fears the possibility that he may spend the rest of his life as an outsider looking in. Although Holden attempts to change his social position, his mindset is out of place, preventing him from relating to how a normal individual would feel. Therefore, Holden struggles immensely in terms of making lasting connections with others, mainly because he cannot see eye to eye with them. “He focuses on the danger and potential death instead of love and a personal relationship” (Edwards). Obviously, the loss of his brother, Allie, has scarred Holden to the point of overanalyzing each move he makes and the countless possibilities. By doing so, Holden prevents himself from enjoying the people and events taking place right in front of him. Holden’s …show more content…
Gatsby continuously searches for his true identity in hopes of solidifying the image that he works effortlessly to create and maintain. However, Gatsby presents himself in quite an enigmatic fashion to those around him, never explicitly naming his occupation nor his past and present endeavors. Instead, Gatsby’s guests and even some friends, such as Nick Carraway, remain in the dark in terms of Gatsby’s past and how he has come to possess the wealth and stature he currently displays, left to guess and gossip amount themselves at his spectacular parties. Wealth, a lost love, obsession, and stupidity led Jay Gatsby to lead a life full of lies and ambiguity. By refusing to broadcast the truth about his past, Gatsby was actively hiding his past in order to ensure a successful future. For Gatsby, image spoke volumes, so he held it in utmost importance. He works diligently to appear confident in every decision he makes, demanding the respect of those around him. Unfortunately, this façade of immeasurable confidence is fuelled by the belief that money possesses the ability to solve any and all problems. Gatsby believes that by fulfilling his lifelong goal of evolving from a poor nobody into an individual with a high social status he will have the power to buy his happiness and win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby also becomes concerned with how people think of him so he throws extravagant parties in order to appear generous, as well as prosperous, so as to encourage those who attend to talk about him. Gatsby is adamant about creating a new identity in an attempt to win back Daisy’s heart, however she is an empty vessel, unable to ever return Jay’s passion and