The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay If The Great Gatsby had taken place in Sri Lanka, the hype surrounding F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel would have been non-existent. The enthralling love affairs between the characters that are the foundation of the story would have been absent from the plot because Sri Lankan culture is grounded on Buddhism. Buddhist guidelines emphasize the thought that attachment leads to suffering, a theme that appears habitually throughout the novel. Most characters in the novel face this attachment, but at such a degree that they are unable to detach themselves from the thing they desire. The collective inabilities of Wilson, Gatsby and Tom to let go of the people they love are key contributors to Gatsby’s murder. Wilson’s ineptitude to admit that Myrtle, his wife of 12 years, no longer loves him causes emotional suffering and plays a role in Gatsby’s murder. Wilson discovers that â€Å"Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him,† (111) that she shared with Tom. Wilson, in an attempt not to lose Myrtle forever, locks her in her room so that she can’t run away. His plan is to keep her closed off from the world for a few days and then â€Å"she is going whether she wants to or not† (111). Wilson plans on moving away with her so that the two can start a new life, with no one to get in between them. Although Wilson thinks that this will save his relationship, he is inept to acknowledge that he can’t do anything for them. Myrtle, trying to escape from Wilson, runs into the street and is hit by a car, Gatsby’s car. This causes Wilson to mistakenly believe that Gatsby is the one who killed Myrtle. Using an â€Å"eye for an eye† mentality Wilson wants the same consequences to be inflicted on Gatsby and seeks revenge by murdering him. Had Wilson been able to let go of Myrtle, he most likely wouldn’t have felt anger towards Gatsby. But his ineptitude to let go causes him to feel anger towards Gatsby because he has problems imagining a life without Myrtle. Wilson’s incapacity to acknowledge Myrtle’s lack of feelings for him is among components leading to Gatsby’s death. The inability of Gatsby and Daisy to let go of their past together ultimately contributes to Gatsby’s demise. The couple’s passionate history is rekindled because their houses are in close enough proximity to resume their connection. Even though Daisy has been married to Tom for the past five years, she maintains clandestine feelings for Gatsby. â€Å"Both of us loved each other all of that time,† (111) states Daisy in an emotional moment. This drawn out love holds true for Gatsby who faces difficulties letting go of Daisy. For example, right after Daisy marries Tom, Gatsby has problems accepting the realization that she is out of his reach forever. In desperation Gatsby crashes their wedding. Gatsby, a. k. a. Biloxi, ends up making an excuse to sleep at Daisy’s house for a few weeks after her marriage. Daisy is unaware that it is Gatsby, not Biloxi the box maker from Tennessee, who has been sleeping in her house all of that time. Even though Daisy is married to Tom, Gatsby has such an attachment to her that he hasn’t moved on. Gatsby’s inability to forget about Daisy leads him to persuade Nick to invite Daisy over for dinner. Gatsby plans on trying to reconnect an old fire within Daisy that used to burn for him. This attempt to reignite his love with Daisy ultimately results in his own death. Tom, Daisy’s husband, still loves her and like Wilson is distraught by the fact that another man is taking away his love. Tom wants a way to get rid of Gatsby so that Daisy will only have one man in her life. Tom sees his opportunity to rid Gatsby from Daisy’s’ â€Å"picture† by telling Wilson, who is seeking revenge for his wife’s murder, it was Gatsby’s car that killed Myrtle. In a way Gatsby contributed to his own death by not being able to put his past with Daisy behind him. This incapacity to move on is the spark that ignites people’s revenge towards him, and ultimately is the main cause of his death. Tom’s inability to admit that Daisy has become unfaithful, results in him seeking revenge on Gatsby. Tom is aware of the fact that Daisy and Gatsby have an on going clandestine affair, but still thinks that Daisy has loved him during that time. â€Å"Daisy loved me when she married me and she loves me now,† (117) yells Tom at Gatsby. This shows how Tom is incapable of admitting that Daisy has moved on from him. Even though Daisy is having an affair, Tom still thinks that the two of them share a passionate love for one another. Tom is so confident that Daisy still loves him that he states, â€Å"She’s not leaving me† (118). He falsely thinks that Daisy is as in love with him as he is with her. His inability to let go has made him think that Daisy also doesn’t want to loose him. Like all of the other characters in the book, Tom’s inability to let go of Daisy contributes to Gatsby’s murder. Tom still loves Daisy even though she has moved on from him, and will do anything to still be with her. Tom understands that the only way to be with Daisy is for Gatsby to disappear. Therefore, Tom tells Wilson that Gatsby’s car responsible for killing Myrtle, and as previously stated, allows for Wilson to get revenge on Gatsby. By refusing to admit that Daisy still doesn’t have feelings for him, Tom contributes to Gatsby death. Have you ever gone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and seen one of those Pointillism paintings made up of small dots of paint? The murder of Gatsby is like a pointillist painting titled â€Å"Just Let Go†. Gatsby’s inability to let go of Daisy is the purple, Tom’s inability to let go of Daisy is the green, and Wilson’s inability to let go of Myrtle is the blue. The important thing is that all of these â€Å"colors† come together to form one image. Like the paintings up close, you only see the different colors and are unaware of the bigger picture being painted. When you look closely at The Great Gatsby you are also unaware how Wilson’s love for Myrtle could lead to Gatsby’s death. But when you step back it becomes apparent how each event leads to Gatsby’s unfortunate death. All of the little actions of Tom, Wilson and Gatsby are small dots in a bigger image. If these three men were able to let go of the people they loved at one time, Gatsby most likely wouldn’t have died. Like the Beatles sang, â€Å"Let if be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Speaking words of wisdom let it be. † If only the Beatles were founded 40 years earlier to pass their message onto the main characters in The Great Gatsby.