Attitudes To Success In Great Gatsby Analysis

The pursuit of attaining desires influences an individual's actions. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's relationship depicts one that is envious and lopsided. After the pair meet each other, Daisy captivates Gatsby with her wealthy lifestyle and societal standing. Following his arrival from fighting in World War I, Gatsby throws parties to increase his social stature in hopes of grasping her attention. Daisy's marriage to Tom Buchanan forms an issue that Gatsby must overcome if he aspires to be with her. To catch her attention, he must secure wealth as it lures her back into his life, ushering him closer to his goal. Gatsby solely falls in love with the idea of success that Daisy displays rather than her as a person.

Daisy’s influence over Gatsby’s life leads him to change his standard of living, which he greatly profits from. Gatsby expresses how he drifts “here and there as [he tries] to forget the sad thing that happened to [him]” (Fitzgerald 67). Earlier in his life, he is perceived as a poor boy who does not deserve Daisy or her luxuries. By losing her attention, Gatsby realizes that he is losing his dream of having an elegant life. He feels that losing Daisy will make others see him as a failure in society. In hopes of restoring his figure, “he [invents] just the sort of Jay Gatsby that seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent” (Fitzgerald 98). As a young boy, he admires those who live a life of splendor and hopes to one day achieve this. Earning this wealth provides Gatsby with an incentive to become a successful man. Daisy plays a significant role in this transformation as he yearns to invent a version of himself that is well-known in her higher level of societal status. Gatsby secures her interest because “he [lets] her believe that he [is] a person from much the same stratum as herself” (Fitzgerald 149). Gatsby’s goal is to manipulate her into believing that he can better take care of her than her husband Tom ever could. He knows that fooling her with these pretenses is his only shot to be with her. Gatsby’s obsession with the idea of success and a life with Daisy is his path to great wealth. His longing to reinvent himself to obtain great fortune proves that his feelings for Daisy are merely the idea of success and sustainability that she portrays.

Daisy represents Gatsby’s dream of bountiful wealth and success in life. To Gatsby, Daisy resembles a girl “whose disembodied face [floats] along the dark cornices and blinding signs” (Fitzgerald 180). The bond that they once possess is lost during their years apart, letting him form an image of Daisy that drifts further from her in reality. He regards her as nothing more than a way of climbing the corporate ladder in society. His attraction to her status becomes more transparent than his liking to her as a human. When she visits Gatsby’s home, “he [revalues] everything in the house according to the measure of response it [draws] from her well-loved eyes” (Fitzgerald 91). Gatsby sees that Daisy knows what is considered valuable, thus seeking her approval of his wealthy life that he has built for himself. He sets out to prove that he is worthy of being part of the life she represents. As Gatsby examines her past lovers, he is enthusiastic about how “many men [have] already loved Daisy- it [increases] her value in his eyes” (Fitzgerald 149). The greater she appeals to others, the more Gatsby desires her value. He treasures the attention she receives from others and hopes to one day earn this spotlight. From his perspective, Daisy is that of a prized possession that he needs. She becomes his unfulfilled desire as she already possesses his wants in life.

In F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, Gatsby's interest in materialistic possessions motivates his manipulative demonstrations of duping Daisy into accepting that he is of any value to her. Daisy embodies everything that Gatsby wants to attain, leading him to seek her recognition in particular. By receiving her affection, he believes that he can finally inhabit the life of luxury and high status that he has always dreamt of. But, Daisy ruins this plan by deciding to stay with her husband Tom instead of continuing her affair with Gatsby. Ultimately, this begins to destroy his goal of attaining viability from her stature. The extreme differences in their upbringing induce Gatsby to lose his final chance of living a life of fortune. His failure to fulfill his idea of a successful life shows during his funeral, as those who attend have no interest in mourning his passing. His wish of gaining the recognition of the upper class is seen as a failure. His longing for money and success can be seen today in individuals who do everything in their power to achieve their versions of the American Dream. Today, people continue to formulate new identities based on what society believes is ideal, similar to the way Gatsby feeds lies to Daisy about his wealth and societal stature. Gatsby's impulse to acquire Daisy's approval clouds his expectations with their relationship as he centers his life around luxury and grandeur.