The Great Gatsby
What is the cost of pursuing a dream?
Great Gatsby Section
According to The Great Gatsby, the cost of pursuing a dream is losing one's self and even their lives. In Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy, he obsesses over who she has become and what will happen when they meet again. Gatsby even "says he's read a Chicago paper for years just on the chance of catching a glimpse of Daisy's name" (p. 79). He loses his sanity and "had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream" (p. 161). His obsession with his dream of Daisy causes him to lose his self and ultimately his life. Myrtle is another character that tries to pursue a dream. Her dream is to be married to a rich man and have a life just like the people in the East Egg. Although she isn't as intense about achieving her dream as Gatsby, she still has an affair with Tom Buchanan, one of the characters that come from old money. Myrtle even says marrying George was "a mistake. He borrowed somebody's best suit to get married in" (p. 35). She is obviously ashamed of her own husband because of her desire to be one of the a part of one of the rich families of the East Egg. Even at her own "get-together", she "changed her costume...and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored chiffon" (p. 30). Myrtle ends up losing her own life in an accident after her husband finds out about the affair.
Real World Section
In the real world, dreaming starts at a young age. I started dreaming about what I wanted to be when a grew up when I was in first grade. Every kid talked about their dreams of being Superman, or Batman, or a princess. The innocent children in the Connecticut shooting got their dreams taken away from them. "Police said they found hundreds of unused bullets at the school, which enrolled about 450 students in kindergarten through fourth grade" (Chicago Tribune). Those children were never able to grow up and fulfill their dreams because of the psychopathic intentions of a heartless person. They didn't even get a chance to pursue their dreams like the characters in The Great Gatsby.
Works Cited
1) "Connecticut School Shooting: Gunman Had Hundreds of Rounds of Ammunition." Chicagotribune.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
2) "The Great Gatsby Exam Outline." Mr Dwyer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
3) "People." PEOPLE.com. N.p., 16 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
2) "The Great Gatsby Exam Outline." Mr Dwyer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.
3) "People." PEOPLE.com. N.p., 16 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.