Final Gatsby Reading Blog (Chapters 7-9)

1. What is the main theme Fitzgerald displays throughout this book?
Though there were many themes in The Great Gatsby, the theme I saw displayed throughout the book most prominently was the idea of unfulfilled goals and ambitions. This is first seen through Tom when we see how he is always trying to live out his college days, but obviously can not. He fails in the end because not only does he Daisy, but he loses Myrtle too. He went from having a wife and a back-up woman as his mistress to having no one at all. Gatsby also tries to reenact what used to be of his and Daisy's relationship while they were younger. He goes to extremes to make this happen, but in the end he fails. While he does end up with Daisy's love, she still loves Tom too, and he ends up getting killed; all for nothing, one could say.

2. What can we infer from Gatsby's unconditional love for Daisy?
While Gatsby may have unwanted feelings for Daisy, he loves her nonetheless. He would go to the ends of the earth and back a million times if that's what it took to get her to love him. His unconditional love for Daisy shows that he is a character of time, management, and tenderness. He will do what it takes for however long it takes. He is willing to do anything, and this shows that he has passion. This also shows that he is a caring person. While he displays some shady characteristics, he is a deep, heart-filled loving person and his main goal is to achieve the love of Daisy's heart. While most people's dreams are with expensive things and special needs, he wants a girl. He does consume very materialistic properties, but it is not for his own desire; it is all for Daisy, which makes him a generous and caring person.

3. They eyes of T.J. Eckleberg are referred to in Chapter 8 as God by George Wilson. For what purpose does Fitzgerald use symbolism throughout the story to emphasis a possibly higher power?
Throughout the entire book, the reoccurring eys of T.J. Eckleberg are mentioned. In Chapter 8, Wilson refers to the eyes as God and this then allows us to reach back into the beginning of the book to see how it could have symbolized a higher power earlier on. The eyes overlook the industrialized area of the city, which means that there is a higher power always watching. People are trying to do things that are good, because they are being judged. At the end, Wilson says he wants to get away, which means that he wants to go away with Myrtle, out of the eyes' reach. People in the industrialized area of town are all being watched and try to keep a good reputation so the higher power will see what "good" they have done. This shows that the people are only trying to live a good life so that they won't be judged, and not that they are just wired that way, thus showing the people living there are only worried about their outward appearance, whether than living a good life of humbleness and simplicity.