

He trivializes the complexities of her human nature and his understanding of her comes off as oversimplified: Gatsby thinks Daisy’s interest in men lies only in their ability to provide for her. Gatsby fails to see Daisy as an independent person, believing that she will be happy when she reunites with him. Daisy as a Part of Gatsby’s American Dream However, this makes all of his possessions worthless because they are treated not as ends but as means to win over Daisy, while the American Dream implies that prosperity is the end goal. His status as a self-made man has to be adamant and indisputable because this is what Gatsby thinks will bring Daisy back. Gatsby has to prove to himself that he achieved the Dream, before proving it to Daisy and others.

Indeed, the theme of identity plays one of the important roles in the novel. Hodo (2017) explains that this establishment of oneself as “somebody” is central to the concept of the Dream (p. It suggests that Gatsby’s excessive consumerism is just for show by organizing huge parties where everyone can see how wealthy he is, he establishes his status as an achiever of the American Dream. Most of his possessions are ridiculous and unnecessary – he admits to Nick that he does not swim in his giant pool, “You know, old sport, I’ve never used that pool all summer” (Fitzgerald, 2001/1925, p. Gatsby’s wealth is immeasurable he has so much that he cannot possibly spend all of his money in a single lifetime. It is difficult to imagine how does the palace manages to show all of its architectural features just from one side however, the reader can guess that Gatsby intended it to be this way.

The construction of the house is artsy and complex, and everything is on the display, including the pool and the garden. Nick even compares it to a hotel, meaning, the house does look welcoming for the quests. It is not just a massive block of stone that protects the owner from the prying eyes it is meant to attract and lure newcomers. The mansion is designed to catch attention. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard – it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. The novel describes the palace in great detail: When Nick, the narrator, rents a house at west Egg, he ends up becoming a neighbor to Jay Gatsby himself. All of his possessions are always on display: an enormous mansion, countless cars, and pompous parties with people he does not know. Gatsby does not just live an ostentatiously costly life – he broadcasts it. Learn More The American Dream Reflected in Jay Gatsby’s Lifestyleįrom the very first pages of the novel, the reader catches a glimpse of how differently Gatsby lives in comparison with other characters.
