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Romanticism versus Realism

Through the Relationship of Daisy and Gatsby

CLASS DISCUSSION

The Uneven Balance between Romanticism and Realism

Romanticism in Daisy and Gatsby's Relationship:

In your opinion, do you think that an even balance of romanticism and realism is required in a healthy relationship, or do you believe that one is needed more than the other?

Becomes his "American Dream"

Daisy becomes Gatsby's "Religion"

Romanticism overpowers Realism:

- Although Daisy is responsible for the murder of Myrtle, Gatsby's love for Daisy drives him to remain the suspect and accepts the blame for it

- Accepting the blame for the death ultimately leads to his own death

- Therefore, Daisy and Gatsby can literally never be together

Realism in Daisy and Gatsby's Relationship:

Realism overpowers Romanticism:

- Both Daisy and Gatsby have different American Dreams: Daisy's dream is money and status whereas Gatsby's dream is Daisy

- In reality, Gatsby will never be truly accepted by the people in the East Egg or be good enough for Daisy.

- Therefore, Gatsby and Daisy can never be together

Daisy's Regrets

"-but now he found that he had committed himself to the following of a grail. He knew that Daisy was extraordinary, but he didn't realize just how extraordinary a "nice girl" could be" (Fitzgerald 158-159)

- The holy grail in which Gatsby refers to is dish or cup that is part of Arthurian Literature. It is described to have "special powers" and provides an infinite abundance of happiness and eternal youth.

- Daisy, for Gatsby, is his sense of happiness and is worth everything for him

- Praises and loves Daisy like a religion

-The American Dream is centered around the idea of "getting-rich-quick"

-Since Gatsby grew up poor, he knew that would never be capable of the American Dream until he met Daisy

- Daisy is centered around the idea of money: "'Her voice was full of money," he said suddenly...that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it..."(Fitzgerald 127).

-For Gatsby, Daisy became his dream

- Did everything he could to get her: buys house across the bay, holds parties in hopes of Daisy attending- wants to prove to her that he is good enough for her

Tom and Daisy's Daughter

-When Daisy sees Gatsby's house for the first time and the life that he has made for himself, she begins to regret her decision in marrying Tom

-This is because now that Gatsby has money, he is good enough for Daisy's shallow taste

"Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into shirts and began to cry stormily. 'They're such beautiful shirts.' She sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. 'It makes me sad because I've never seen such- beautiful shirts before" (Fitzgerald 98).

Acts Irrationally towards Daisy

"Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Afterward he kept looking at the child with surprise. I don't think he had ever actually believed in its existence before" (Fitzgerald 123)

-Daisy's daughter, Pammy, represents a symbol of realism in the novel as it allows Gatsby to get a glimpse of Daisy's life with Tom

-Pammy is a symbol of Daisy and Tom's love and shows Gatsby that she did love Tom and she moved on in her life without him

Daisy is not actually crying about how beautiful the shirts are but is crying about the choices she has made against Gatsby that she now regrets. This further shows Daisy's incompetent and selfish character.

Tom vs. Gatsby

"'Your wife doesn't love you,' said Gatsby. 'She never loved you. She loves me'" (Fitzgerald 138).

"'She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!'" (Fitzgerald 138).

-This irrational behavior by Gatsby shows the intensity of his emotions towards Daisy.

- By calling out Daisy and saying that she never loved Tom , he is making up this unrealistic scenario in which Daisy will actually leave Tom for him.

- Believes that he is doing the right thing

ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE DESTRUCTION OF DAISY AND GATSBY'S RELATIONSHIP

- Tom comes from the East Egg and is considered "old rich" due to his inheritance

-Has the approval from Daisy's family due to his money and status

- In reality, Daisy will always choose Tom because of the life that they have had for five years and the constant wealth that Tom supplies

- Gatsby comes from West Egg and is considered "new rich" because he is a bootlegger

- Gatsby has always been a mysterious and shady character that can never be fully trusted or understood

-In reality, Daisy will never choose Gatsby because although Gatsby is crazy in love with her and will do anything for her, he will never be accepted in to the West Egg or by the Buchannan's

Quote:

"He began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made. But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room" (Fitzgerald 142-143).

This quote shows that as hard as Gatsby may try to win her back, he will never be capable of doing so. He will always be a shady character in the East Egg and Daisy will never be able to truly accept him for how he is.

MEDIA CONNECTIONS:

Disillusionment in Marriage, and Romanticism

BY CHARLES W. HOBART

What is ROMANTICISM?

What is REALISM?

Romanticism is more concerned with emotion than rationality, in which an individual is more valuable than society

Realism aims to interpret the actualities of any aspect of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism or romantic colour

Characteristics of Romanticism:

- Characters are set apart from society; characters are not of our their conscience mind

- Universe is mysterious and irrational

- Deals with characters who are highly subjective and imaginative

- Themes of escapism and emotional intensity

This article suggests that idealization in a marriage is extremely important in letting your marriage last. This article emphasizes the importance of idealization in marriage and unimportant need of too much romanticism as it may lead to disillusionment and then divorce.

Therefore, if there is an uneven balance of realism and romanticism in a marriage, it ultimately won't survive.

It is emphasized that "falling in love" was accompanied by a process of idealization of the love object. It is believed that idealization develops because of a lack of knowledge about opposite sexed persons, cultural blocking of the love striving and because Americans are culturally trained to idealize....High divorce statistics and, in particular, the evidence of shattered romantic dreams and expectations sometimes found in divorce testimony seem to be informal indications of the existence of such disillusionment in marriage.

Characteristics:

- Stresses the real over the fantastic

- Events make stories plausible

- Emphasizes on morality

- Humans are in control of their own destiny and are superior to their circumstances

WORK CITED:

Thesis

DVDMajestic. "The Notebook Trailer." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 21 May. 2007. Web. 26 July. 2015

Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. England: Penguin, 1926. Print

Hobart, Charles. "Disillusionment in Marriage, and Romanticism." Marriage and Family Living. Vol 20, No. 2. (1958) :156-162. Print.

Zhang, Kevin. "Romanticism vs. Realism in Today's Classroom." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 July. 2015.

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates the battle between romanticism and realism in Daisy and Gatsby's relationship as an uneven balance between the two ultimately leads to the destruction of their relationship.

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