Great Gatsby Report- Obsessing over the Past Theme

An Obsession For The Past Obsessing too much over anything is unhealthy for a human being. Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby, dedicates his life to finding his lost love, Daisy, despite changes that may have occurred since the relationship ended. It is a love from the past that he longs for once again. Gatsby’s obsession gets to the point that he will do almost anything to retrieve the life that he once lived. Due to Gatsby’s attachment to the past and obsession to relive it, he forgets to live in the present and dedicates everything in searching for the history he once knew. Life becomes unsatisfactory until his longing is fulfilled. Gatsby’s love forms before he leaves for war, to a young woman named Daisy. “She was the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known (p. 148)”. However, he has to leave right when he starts to realize his love for her. While at war, they write letters to each other. Then, Nick retells Gatsby’s story: After the Armistice he tried frantically to get home, but some complication or misunderstanding sent him to Oxford instead. He was worried now- there was a quality of nervous despair in Daisy’s letters. She didn’t see why he couldn’t come. She was feeling the pressure of the world outside, and she wanted to see him and feel his presence beside her and be reassured that she was doing the right thing after all (150).

Daisy ends up marrying a rich man named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby had been poor when he met Daisy, and while he was at war she had chose Tom over waiting for Gatsby, because he was very wealthy already. Gatsby comes home from the war, and realizes he is too late. He strives the rest of his life towards getting rich, to meet Daisy once again and start their relationship over. Jordan Baker tells Nick, “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night’, went on Jordan, ‘but she never did. Then he began asking people casually if they knew her,