So, this week we began The Great Gatsby, and I finished reading this novel within a span of a 2-3 days(That's how interesting I found it). There are many profound lessons to be learnt from this novel. But, before I get to themes and lessons from this novel, I will like to explain what each main character in this novel represent. As I read this novel, I couldn't help but see how important the character representations are to understanding the overall idea of the novel. In this short blog post, I will quickly explain what I believe the key characters in The Great Gatsby, truly represent.
Character Analysis
Jay Gatsby - This man is truly a quite remarkable and interesting individual. Throughout this novel, we see Gatsby surrender his entire life to pursuing a girl named Daisy. This was his greatest priority, so this pursuit consumed his entire life and eventually led to his death. Gatsby is a total embodiment of everything us humans would do when it comes to the pursuit of our greatest dreams and aspirations. Daisy was Gatsby's greatest dream and he did everything he can to achieve his dream.
Daisy - This woman here is a mere representation of all the seemingly impossible dreams and aspirations we have and strive to achieve throughout our lives. Daisy's character and how she treated Gatsby is symbolic of the fact that our strong desires, passion, and determination to achieve our dreams doesn't guarantee their actualization nor does it make the process of doing the impossible any easier. Daisy was Gatsby's greatest dream but little did he know that Daisy comes at a 'price' he cannot afford or better still, a price that is impossible for him to pay.
Tom - Here we have a man that is nothing but a representation of our adversary in the pursuit of our dreams and aspirations. Tom was Gatsby's adversary. For us today, the adversities we face in the pursuit of our dreams could be in the form of policies, financial struggles, injustice, social issues, family problems, lack of resources, and discrimination of all kinds. Our adversary is always the source of our pain, suffering, disbelief, frustration, fear, anxiety, trauma, and problems during the pursuit of our dreams. So, whenever we see someone pursing a dream, whoever or whatever is stopping, hindering, or resisting them will inevitably be the source of their greatest issues. This was exactly what Tom represented in Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy.
Nick - This man right here is one I remain fascinated by. Nick is symbolic of that one person we all need in our lives, especially during our pursuit of dreams. Adversities and resistance are inevitable when we pursue our dreams, so that's why we need people like Nick in our lives. Nick is symbolic of the people I like to call Destiny Helpers. They seem like such a miracle because they come into our lives at our exact time of need. Nick came into Gatsby's life when he needed some sort of emotional support, guidance, assistance, but above all, a true friend. Nick was the only one who stood by Gatsby throughout the entire novel; this is how powerful and important people like Nick are.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section;
Until Next Time!!
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