Lezama 1

Aliyah Lezama

Mrs. Torres

English III

13 April 2018

Literary Analysis

“​The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must

be felt with the heart” (Keller as cited by Sommer). Love is a very natural emotion. It is

expressed through passion and desires. The question “why do people search for love?” can be

answered in many different ways. ​The Great Gatsby,​ a book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells a

rather scandalous tale of the summer of 1922 through the eyes of Nick Carraway. A story of

wealth, betrayal, love, lies, and deceit are showcased between three social classes. Nick becomes

captivated by the world around him and loses sight of his goal to focus on the bond trade

business that summer. The author shows that “love is a force of nature” that can result in

different effects (Annapol). Love is a natural emotion that everyone needs, feels, desires, and

attempts to acquire.

Love is something that everyone needs. It is an inherent emotion. No one can escape the

need for love because it is instilled in humans through God. Genesis 1:27 says, “​So God created

man in his ​own​ image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”

(​KJV​). God created human beings to be a reflection of Him. The Bible teaches that God is love.

God created humans with the intent for them to love and be loved (​KJV)​. Love is simply a part of

human nature.​ It makes people feel appreciated and valued.​ In the book, ​The Great Gastby​, Jay

Gatsby actions are driven by the desire to feel accepted and loved by his dream girl, Daisy.
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Throughout the book he tries endlessly to win her over. His human nature kicks in and is showed

through his passion in his quest for love and acceptance. ​Although everyone needs love, not

everyone experiences real love.

Sometimes love that is felt is simply a fasad. Love is a very real thing if it is genuinely

expressed. Love is something beautiful that has to be “felt with the heart” (​Keller as cited by

Sommer). If it is not felt, it is not real. People may feel as though they are experiencing true love,

but in reality there is a still a void in their hearts because they are not. ​The Great Gatsby ​showed

a lot of unreal love between many of the characters. People may search for love in hopes of

answering questions that they have about it (Fitzgerald). If “love” is only based on curiosity, it is

not real. ​Although there is a chance that the love being sought after is unreal, people still strive

to find it.

People may do almost anything to be loved. The desire to be loved can drive people to do

abnormal things. In the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby created a new version of himself to fit into a

higher social class. He used lies and deceit to build his way to the top just to impress Daisy. He

threw magnificent parties and invited people he did not know. He even tried to bribe the cousin

of Daisy, Nick Carraway, to get Daisy to come over for tea. Gatsby promised Nick that he would

have his grass cut for him if he got Daisy to accept his request. Nick called Daisy and invited her

for tea, instructing her not to bring her husband, Tom. When Daisy accepted the invitation, Mr.

Gatsby sent a lawn mower over to Nick’s house the next day. Gatsby was willing to do anything

to impress Daisy. People may do anything to feel loved because of how curious they are to find

love.
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Works Cited

Annapol, Deborah. “What is Love, and What isn’t? “​Psychology Today. ​25 Nov. 2011.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/love-without-limits/201111/what-is-love-an

What-isnt.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

King James Version. ​Holy Bible​. App​.

Nowakowski, Anjali. “What does Love Actually Feel Like?” ​Elite Today. ​20 March 2018.

https://www.elitedaily.com/dating/love-actually-feel-like/200950. 10 April 2018. Web.

Sand, George. “George Sand Quotes.” ​BrainyQuote, X​plore, https://www.brainyquote.com/q

uotes/george_sand_383232?src=t_love. 9 April 2018. Web.

Sommer, Elle. “Beautiful Things of the Heart.” ​Live Purposefully Now. ​https://livepurposefully

now.com/beautiful-things-of-the-heart/. 11 April 2018. Web.