Loving Characteristics: Theme Paper Great Gatsby

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“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them” ― Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island.
When you fall in love with someone do you actually fall in love with that person, or do you fall in love with the idea of the person how beautiful or “hot” they are, how cool or big their house is, how nice their car is?
Sometimes in society people don’t fall in love with someone, but more of they fall in love with the idea of that person or being with that person. Love is misconstrued, explained, defined in many different was, there are both positive and negative sides to love. This theme is more pointed out to the main character in The Great Gatsby, the famous, rich, handsome Jaya Gatsby who supposedly is in love with Daisy or is it the idea of Daisy? In this paper I will explain my reasoning for this and give specific examples.
In The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby tries getting closer to Daisy and to be with her. Pg. 78 “ Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the Bay.” In that quote Gatsby bought his house close to Daisy so that he could see her house just across the bay. Pg. 82 “ I talked with Miss Baker,” I said after a moment.” I’m going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea.” At this point Jay is trying to get Nick to invited Daisy over for tea at Gatsby house. Gatsby keeps trying to be with or near Daisy whatever it takes.
Gatsby dreams or flashbacks to when him and Daisy were together and keeps thinking about what she was like. Pg. 148-14...

... middle of paper ...

...a lot to learn in his life and wants people to think he is a clever man when in the end he isn’t.
You can conclude after reading this paper how sometimes in society people don’t fall in love with someone, but more of they fall in love with the idea of that person or being with that person, Jay Gatsby is someone who fits very well into this theme. Jay does not know what true love is and what it actually means to fall in love with someone. Not just loving them for what they have how they look, but who they are inside. I think you will find this behavior in the younger generation of teenagers or young adults, because they don’t yet understand the true meaning love. For future preference when looking for someone to love makes sure you actually love him or her or you could end up empty handed and without love. Don’t end up like Jay Gatsby.

Works Cited

The Great Gatsby

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