a philosophical view on 'The Great Gatsby'--using time as a key dimension to ones life theme.
The Great Gatsby - Essay
Topic: Time as a key dimension to one's life's theme.
Time is an idea described in different periods and aspects, for example philosophical,
psychological, physical and biological. This time flows evenly but is broken into the past, present
and future. Since we only live in the present forever planning for our futures and dreams, when
we try to live in the past it restricts our future. Throughout Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby wasted time
and his life for a single dream, and it was his illusion of his ideal future that made time a key
dimension in his life.
Gatsby suffers from past memories of Daisy and tries to relive the relationship and in the
process Gatsby was murdered. Nick says, 'Almost five years! There must have been moments
even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams - not through her own fault, but
because of the colossal vitality of his illusion'.
The cover of the first edition of The Great Gatsby...
The Great Gatsby (1926 film)
The Great Gatsby (1974 film)Gatsby's idealistic view of Daisy was, she was of
pure and perfect form and after he kisses her, his ideal perfect relationship starts to decay, '...and
the incarnation was complete'. The incarnation meaning Daisy cannot be ideally perfect anymore
now that Gatsby's with her. Daisy is not pure and perfect like Gatsby thought she was in the past.
From Gatsby's illusions of the past preoccupying all his thoughts, he forgets about the key
dimension he exists in which is the present.
Although Gatsby was persistent on reliving the past, Gatsby vaguely lived for the present.
This is apparent when he cancels his biology by leaving home, changing his name, and leaving his
heritage behind which was not done by following the past. In the past...