The Great Gatsby Essay Ben Ramey Essay Example

The Great Gatsby Essay Ben Ramey Essay Example The Great Gatsby Essay Ben Ramey Paper The Great Gatsby Essay Ben Ramey Paper Essay Topic: The Great Gatsby Gatsbys Contrast in Behavior: Before and After Encountering Daisy Famous writer Douglas H. Everett once said, There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. This quote evidently connects to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, as Jay Gatsby himself refuses to face the fact that Daisy, his past lover, may have moved on from their prior relationship. Instead, Gatsby devoted many years of his life trying to make his fantasy relationship with Daisy a reality. Gatsbys interest of winning back Daisy quickly evolved into an obsession, where he fantasized of rebuilding the love they once shared. This obsession explains the contrast Gatsbys behavior before and after he finally meets Daisy, where he was extremely anxious and insecure before reuniting with Daisy and then over determined and domineering afterwards. Gatsbys behavior prior to meeting Daisy displayed the severe extent to which he was anxious and insecure. First, Gatsby allows Nick to invite Daisy over for tea, ithout Daisy knowing that Gatsby will be attending as well. The fact that Gatsby allows Nick to set up the get-together with Daisy, which Gatsbys has spent many of his years preparing for, suggests that Gatsby feels as if he is not worthy enough to approach Daisy directly. Furthermore, Nick notes the decrepit condition of Gatsby merely hours before Daisys arrival that He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes (Fitzgerald 84). This description helps to illustrate he distress and anxiety that Gatsby has experienced over the inevitable reunion with Daisy, which has caused him to lose sleep. In addition, minutes before Daisy arrives, Gatsbys insecurity and anxiety explode into a final cry of refusal as he exclaims Nobodys coming to tea. Its too late I cant wait all day (85). This denial to believe that Daisy would show up proposes that Gatsby feels as if his moment of reunifying with Daisy may never occur. Also, the lie that Gatsby, cant wait all day is clearly riven by anxiety and stress, as he has waited many years for this opportunity to. Gatsbys behavior after meeting Daisy shifts to display a more domineering, and over-determined attitude. For example, after Tom and Daisy leave Gatsbys house, he implies he wants Daisy to break things off with Tom, saying Its hard to make her understand(109). This reveals a more aggressive and dominant side of Gatsby, in that he expects her to quickly abandon her actual husband solely because he has made his own interest in her clear to her. Furthermore, upon Nick warning Gatsby not to ask too much of Daisy, Gatsby manically cries out, Im going to fix everything attitude Gatsby has to bring back the love they had, and his disregard for Daisys feelings as well. Gatsbys obsession of recreating the past he had with Daisy is evident in this quote, and this obsession fuels the behavioral shift which occurred after he reacquainted himself with Daisy. Love is a very powerful emotion that can overwhelm and take control of ones emotions and behaviors. For Gatsby, his love affair with Daisy altered the rest of life, as he obsessed for years over building a replica relationship of what they once had. Gatsbys shift from being anxious and insecure to domineering and overly determined is Justified by his desperation over winning back and and holding control over Daisy, who was the top priority in his life. Citation: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. First Scribner Paperback Fiction 1995 ed. New York: Simon Schuster Inc, 1953. Print.