The desire to repeat the past is but an illusion. The mind is dictated by the past when one cannot move forward without the past guiding his or her decision. In Freudian’s perspective, the mind actively construct memories in place of the real memories, which are too painful to remember. Subsequently, new information cannot integrate into existing schemes because the traumatic memory conquers the conscious mind. That is, if one focus too much on the past, he or she will enter a world of fantasy, merely because one’s defense mechanism is activated to make sense of the fictional world. This notion is present in James Gatz’s tragic story in which his traumatic loss has propelled him to contrive a new identity, Jay Gatsby. Determine to revive his happiness, Gatsby obtain power as a tool to win money-driven Daisy. Along the way, he blurs reality and fantasy as one and allows his illusory emotions to control his decisions. In essence, Gatsby’s traumatic loss of his idealized love falsely led him toward an unattainable dream of prominence. Jay Gatsby’s reinvention of his identity is the result of the unconscious desires to be present in Daisy’s perception. When Gatsby met Daisy for the first time, he immediately fell in love with her youth, beauty, and wealth. However, he did not possess the traits Daisy desires: wealth and status. Hence, “she [Daisy] vanished into her rich house, into her rich life, full life, leaving Gatsby—nothing” (Fitzgerald 156-157) Losing Daisy was Gatsby’s traumatic experience and it forever killed his mental state of reality. Gatsby is not willing to accept the fact that Daisy was with him for lust. Eventually, he pursue wealth to win his money-driven love. He excludes his parent’s existence and employs unorthodox method of acquiring money. He then disburse his money on buying a palatial mansion, hosting extravagant parties, and attaining a Roll-Royce car. Indeed, it is “Gatsby’s dream of winning Daisy’s love and respect that is corrupted by his obsessions with possessing wealth and material objects, a wealth that Gatsby believes will ensure Daisy’s unwavering love” (Lance 26). Gatsby’s new appearance, status, and asset are all part of the image that he created to interest Daisy. He wants to show her that he can provide the same security Tom provides and that it is socially acceptable to be together now because of his level of class. Consequently, he hopes that Daisy still has the same feeling she had in the past towards Gatsby because now that he is wealthy, they could be together. There is always a reason for Gatsby’s madness, all of which involves the attainment of his most prominent dream: Daisy. Even after the accumulation of wealth, Gatsby is unable to secure Daisy’s affection. However, he optimistically held on to his blind hope for the future. According to Nick’s account, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eludes us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther” (Fitzgerald 189). The green light represents the significance of the past and the future. It is also a reference to Gatsby’s hopes and implies the struggles he faces in surpassing his goal as well as reliving his past. In order to regain Daisy’s attention, he spent five years acquiring wealth by selling illegal drugs. Without Daisy’s acceptance, all the effort and time spent in attaining prosperity would be meaningless. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (189). Gatsby is constantly rowing the boat to reach the light, however the current prevents him from moving forward. The current represents the past, specifically when Gatsby and Daisy shared an intimate bond. This symbol shows that Gatsby’s determination to revoke his happiness with Daisy propelled him to face obstacles that block his way to success.
Although Daisy was his lifelong hope and love, her rejection and decision to stay with Tom