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Essay / Symbolism of Seasons of Transition in The Great Gatsby
Since the time America was founded, people have flocked to the country in search of achieving the American dream, the opportunity for all citizens to succeed, whatever their social class. F. Scott Fitzgerald questions the validity of the American Dream in his novel The Great Gatsby, as the main character, Jay Gatsby, is unable to achieve the American Dream (reconnect with his lover, Daisy). Gatsby attempts to achieve his dream by getting rich and meeting Daisy again, but he ends up desiring more of his end result, which leads to the ultimate demise of his dream and himself. Changes in seasons from summer to fall are associated with a respective change in the development of a dream, as dreams develop in summer but eventually fail in fall. Fitzgerald uses seasons of transition to show that the American dream can never be fully realized because people are constantly striving for more than is achievable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hidden Meanings of Nature's Seasons in the Novel Gatsby and Daisy's relationship was rekindled over the summer, a season representing the growth and renewal of relationships as well as the American dream. Although it took a while for Gatsby to catch Daisy's attention, once they reconnected, he felt that there were "glittering sun bells in the room" and he began to smile “like an ecstatic pattern of recurring light”. Gatsby had waited years to win Daisy's love and was finally achieving his goal. But the moment the two began to fall in love again, any expectations he had of their relationship would disappear. Gatsby's second chance at love with Daisy represents the moment his dream came true and could have been the moment he achieved his American dream. However, he realized in that moment that he wanted more than just his past love back, he wanted to marry his new lifestyle to Daisy. This is similar to the American Dream, as anyone with a predetermined version of success will reach a point where they are close to achieving their goals. But instead of being satisfied with their success, they let their greed ruin their achievements. Eventually, the start of summer is replaced by the scorching heat of the summer solstice. The end of summer symbolizes the growing tension between Gatsby and Daisy's love as the confrontation in the square takes place on a day that was "scorching...certainly the hottest of the summer." As the conflict escalates, Gatsby attempts to remain calm and win the argument against Tom by asking Daisy to "tell him...that she never loved Tom." Although Gatsby finally had a relationship with Daisy that he had always wanted, it wasn't enough for him. Gatsby wants Daisy to love only him, but she can't lie about never being in love with Tom. Gatsby's dream, like the American dream, required him to have a fixed mindset and did not allow any version of the dream to come true – it was all or nothing. The summer heat changed Gatsby's initial perspective of the American dream and caused him to want more than was achievable, losing Daisy in the process. As the seasons transition into fall, the cycle of life begins to complete itself, along with all dreams and relationships. created in spring, begin to die. Gatsby's own statements caused him to lose his precious relationship with Daisy, as she recognized that he wanted too much from her. However, only Daisy abandons the relationship, Gatsby continues to live his delusional dream and hopes..