Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

One of the biggest fears in today's world is the fear of not fitting into society. People of all age groups and backgrounds share this fear. Many individuals believe that to receive somebody's affection, they must assimilate into that person's society. Jay Gatsby, like any normal person, wants to fit into society. His feelings for Daisy make him strive to achieve that goal. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby attempts to fit into Daisy's society by any means available. The only way Jay makes enough money to enable him to be able to live near Daisy is by bootlegging, an illegal activity. Tom, Daisy's husband, reveals the truth about Gatsby's business, " I found out what your 'drug stores' were†¦He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasn't far wrong."(141) Gatsby wants to assimilate so badly that he commits crimes in order to get rich quickly. His love for Daisy clouds his mind. Jay is willing to do anything to win Daisy. Gatsby deludes himself to avoid accepting the fact that Daisy does not want to leave Tom: "'She's not leaving me!' Tom's words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. 'Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring he put on her finger.' "(140) Once again the reader is reminded of Gatsby's willingness to do anything t...