Chapter One

Introduction
1.1 LiteratureReview (Author’s Life and Works)
Concerning the Title
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) is widely regarded as one of the
greatest American writers of the 20th century, celebrated for his evocative
portrayal of the Jazz Age, a term he coined to encapsulate the spirit of the
Roaring Twenties. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald grew up in a
household that straddled the boundaries of privilege and financial instability.
His father, Edward Fitzgerald, came from an old Southern family but faced
professional failures, while his mother, Mary McQuillan, hailed from a wealthy
Irish-Catholic lineage. This duality—of belonging to a world of privilege yet
facing financial insecurities—would later resonate in his literary works, which
often explore themes of social stratification and the hollowness of wealth
(Bruccoli, 2002).
Fitzgerald’s education at Princeton University, although incomplete, was a
formative period in his life. It was at Princeton where he honed his literary
skills, writing for the university’s literary magazine, The Nassau Lit. However,
his academic struggles and lack of focus on his studies led to his withdrawal in
1917. This marked the beginning of his short military service during World War
I, during which he began crafting his first novel. Though he never saw combat,
the war deeply influenced his worldview, instilling a sense of disillusionment
and existential questioning that would permeate his later works..Fitzgerald’s
literary career began with the publication of This Side of Paradise (1920), a
novel that captured the zeitgeist of the post-war generation. The work was an
instant success, catapulting him to fame and establishing him as a literary voice
for the “Lost Generation.” Themes of youthful exuberance, ambition, and moral
uncertainty dominate the novel, reflecting the shifting cultural landscape of the
time.Fitzgerald’s personal life was as dramatic as his fiction. His marriage to
Zelda Sayre, an Alabama socialite, became a focal point of public fascination.
Zelda, known for her vivacious personality and eccentricities, embodied the
extravagance and excesses of the Jazz Age. Their relationship was marked by
love, ambition, and mutual creative influence but also plagued by financial
instability, alcoholism, and Zelda’s struggles with mental illness. This
tumultuous dynamic profoundly influenced Fitzgerald’s writing, particularly in
later works such as Tender Is the Night (1934), where themes of mental health
and emotional decay are explored (Meyers, 1994).
Love and loss are recurring themes in The Great Gatsby, intricately intertwined
within the novel’s narrative structure and emotional depth. Jay Gatsby’s
relentless pursuit of Daisy Buchanan embodies an idealized, almost obsessive
form of love that is rooted in nostalgia and illusion. For Gatsby, Daisy
represents not just a romantic partner but also the embodiment of his dreams
and aspirations—a symbol of everything he yearns for but can never fully
attain. Despite his immense wealth and grand gestures, such as throwing
extravagant parties in the hope of winning her affection, Gatsby ultimately
learns that he cannot recreate the past or reclaim Daisy. Her affections are
fleeting, influenced by societal expectations, and tied to her own desire for
stability and privilege, which Tom Buchanan provides. This unfulfilled longing
for Daisy underscores Gatsby’s vulnerability and highlights the futility of
chasing an unattainable ideal (Fitzgerald, 1925).
Loss permeates every layer of the story, manifesting in various forms that define
the lives of the characters and the moral tone of the novel. Gatsby experiences a
profound loss of innocence and his dream as he realizes that his idealized vision
of Daisy cannot be reconciled with the reality of who she is. This loss is
symbolic of the broader disillusionment of the American Dream, which
promises success and fulfillment but often leads to despair and moral decay.
The novel also reflects the moral and emotional decline of the Jazz Age, a
period marked by hedonism, materialism, and a lack of authentic connections.
For Daisy, loss takes the form of sacrificing genuine love for the comfort and
status offered by her marriage to Tom. Nick Carraway, the narrator, experiences
his own sense of loss as he becomes disillusioned with the wealthy elite and
their empty pursuit of pleasure.
The ultimate tragedy of Gatsby’s death serves as the culmination of these
intertwined themes of love and loss. Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of Daisy and his
dream ultimately leads to his downfall, as he becomes a victim of the very
world he sought to conquer. His death symbolizes not only the end of his own
aspirations but also the broader collapse of the idealized American Dream.
Critics have argued that the novel portrays love not as a redemptive force but as
a destructive one, revealing the fragility of human connections in the face of
societal ambition and materialism. Love, in The Great Gatsby, is not a source of
fulfillment but rather a catalyst for suffering, exposing the illusions and
compromises that often underpin relationships (Callahan, 2017).

1.2 The Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are:
1. To uncover the haunting beauty of love as a driving, yet illusory, force in The
Great Gatsby.
2. To explore how the theme of loss permeates the novel, unraveling dreams
and unraveling lives.
3. To examine the delicate interplay between love and loss as twin forces
shaping the characters’ fates.

1.3 The Questions of the Research

The questions of the research are:
1. How do the dynamics between Gatsby and Daisy illustrate the
complexities of romantic love and the impact of external societal
pressures on their relationship?
2. In what ways do recurring symbols in the novel, such as the green light
and the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, convey themes of longing and the
inevitable loss associated with unattainable dreams?
3. How do the experiences of loss in "The Great Gatsby" highlight the
emotional and psychological toll on characters, and what does this reveal
about the human condition in the context of the 1920s?

1.4 Definitions of Key words

1.4. 1 Love
Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses deep affection,
attachment, care, and often idealization of a person or object. In literature, it can
represent both a positive and destructive force, motivating characters to act in
ways that reflect their desires, dreams, and vulnerabilities (Lewis, 1960).

1.4.2 Loss
Loss refers to the experience of being deprived of something or someone of
value, often leading to feelings of grief, emptiness, or existential crisis. In
literary works, loss is a powerful theme that can represent the dissolution of
dreams, relationships, or personal identity, and frequently underscores the
emotional or moral decay of characters (Callahan, 2017).
1.4.3 Themes

Themes are the central ideas or underlying messages explored throughout a

literary work. They reflect universal human experiences and societal issues,
offering insights into character development, moral dilemmas, and the social or
political context of the time. In novels, themes serve as the framework through
which the narrative unfolds and communicates deeper meanings (Baldick,
2008).

1.4.4 20th Century Texts

20th-century texts are literary works produced during the 20th century (1901-
2000) that respond to the modern world’s rapid changes in politics, culture,
technology, and philosophy. These texts often explore themes such as
alienation, individualism, and the tension between tradition and modernity,
reflecting the complexities of the modern human experience (Childs, 2000).
References

 Bruccoli, M. J. (2002). Some sort of epic grandeur: The life of F. Scott

Fitzgerald (2nd ed.). University of South Carolina Press.
 Callahan, J. F. (2017). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby:
Symbolism, themes, and the American Dream. Literary Criticism
Quarterly, 45(3), 213-227.
 Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925/2021). The Great Gatsby. Scribner.
 Meyers, J. (1994). F. Scott Fitzgerald: A biography. HarperCollins.
 Baldick, C. (2008). The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3rd ed.).
Oxford University Press.
 Callahan, J. F. (2017). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Critique of the American
Dream. Princeton University Press.
 Childs, P. (2000). Modernism. Routledge.
 Lewis, C. S. (1960). The Four Loves. Harcourt.
 Summary
Summary of The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by is set in the 1920s and tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a
wealthy man with a mysterious past who is deeply in love with Daisy
Buchanan. Daisy, however, is married to Tom Buchanan, a rich and arrogant
man.

Gatsby throws extravagant parties in the hope of winning Daisy back, as they
were in love before she married Tom. Nick Carraway, Daisy’s cousin and the
story’s narrator, becomes Gatsby’s friend and helps him reconnect with Daisy.

Tensions rise when Tom discovers Gatsby’s feelings for Daisy. In a heated
confrontation, Daisy chooses to stay with Tom. Later, Daisy accidentally kills
Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, in a car accident. Myrtle’s husband, believing Gatsby
was responsible, kills Gatsby and then himself.

The story ends with Gatsby’s lonely funeral, as Nick reflects on the emptiness
of wealth, the failure of the American Dream, and the impossibility of
recreating the past.