Callie Zhao
ENG 4U1
Ms. Bagnoli
13 November, 2014
The Illusion of Love in The Great Gatsby
“If love is only a will to possess, it is not love." Love is not an illusion. It is a fact, and what can change was never love. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a story about the illusion of love. The novel shows that in the American society of 1920s, the commons were in total depravity. It tells us that there is no way to go from money to love, from material to spirit. In the past, Gatsby and Daisy once fell in love with each other. But later, Daisy married a rich boy, Tom Buchanan. From then on, Gatsby made efforts to amass money for winning back Daisy. There are many relationships in The Great Gatsby are failures, and it is not authentic love because they are not base materialism, Gatsby and Daisy seem like be in love, but in reality, this seems to be a misconception, and lust is not as same as love. The loves in The Great Gatsby are all the dreamy illusion and an empty bubble. The characters believe they fall in love with someone, but in reality, it is not love.
There are many relationships in the Great Gatsby are failures because they are not base on love, but on materialism. Firstly, the love between Gatsby and Daisy has a close relationship with money. In the Novel, Daisy always lives a luxuriant life since she was born, and she had adapted the life of higher standard. It is hard to imagine that how she can stand a difficult life without money. But Gatsby is a poor soldier and he cannot give a luxuriant life for Daisy. But later, when Gatsby invites Daisy to have a look around his villa, Gatsby clearly knows that the real thing Daisy love is his wealth but not himself. Gatsby’s wealth immediately fascinates Daisy that she cries, and Gatsby also feels that Daisy’s voice is full of money when she sees such a beautiful villa, and she is so happy to touch the costly furniture in his room. “‘Oh, you want too much!’ she cried to Gatsby. ‘I love you now – isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past.’ She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once – but I loved you too.’” (Fitzgerald 126). According to the love between Gatsby and Daisy, it is easy that wealth is the basis of love and without money, and there is no love. Secondly, Daisy only married Tom Buchanan for security. Before Daisy’s wedding, Jordan Baker finds Daisy in her hotel room, "She groped around in the waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. ‘Take ’em downstairs and give ’em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ’em all Daisy's change’ her mine.’”She began to cry - she cried and cried… we locked the door and got her into a cold bath." (Fitzgerald 74). Lastly, the relationship between Tom and Myrtle is based on mutual exploitation. Tom uses Myrtle for sex, and Myrtle receives gifts and money in return. Myrtle has become lose hope to her 12 years marriage husband, because Mr. Wilson is poor. When Myrtle first meeting with Tom, she wants to be together with Tom, but it is not base on love, It was on the two little seats faxing each other that are always the last ones left on the train. I was going up to New York to see my sister and spend the night. He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes, and l couldn’t keep my eyes off him, but time he looked at me I had to pretend to be looking at the advertisement over his head. When we came into the station he was next to me, and his white shirt-front pressed against my arm, and so I told him I’d Have to call a policeman, but he knew I lies. I was so excited that when I got into a taxi with him I didn’t hardly know I wasn’t getting into a subway train. All I kept thinking, over and over, was you can’t live forever, you can’t live forever (Fitzgerald 38). In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby and Daisy seem like be in love, but in reality, this seems to be a misconception. Gatsby is a romantic dreamer believing love can be recaptured. Firstly, Gatsby only loves Daisy in the