Jay Gatsby: A Man Who "Préci"ed Down the Wrong Path

In the novel "The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald claims that an American dream that idolizes an unrealistic ambition, such as recreating the past, is the greatest weakness, creating both unnecessary turmoil and a shattered mentality after a dose of reality. Fitzgerald supports his opinions by analyzing Gatsby's reckless behavior resulting from his fervent desire to possess Daisy, his unnecessary jealousy and vigilance, and his inability to let go of his dream. The author's purpose is to caution the reader that while dreams establish a magical and youthful essence, idolizing an unobtainable dream only breeds a vulnerable and parochial perspective, in other words, a one track mind. The author writes in a didactic yet conversational tone (through the perhaps unreliable point of view of Nick Carraway) for young adults who defied the morally upright values of their elders in the scintillating 1920s.

Jay Gatsby. A man we can all relate to. In our own quest for the "green light", whether it be wealth, love, happiness or the like, we often become blinded by our own dream by blowing it up and squeezing all other perspectives out. Dreams become our weakness.

It's interesting, how literature can connect so much to music. After all, music is just another language, another form of communicating ideas and opinions.

Which is exactly what Kris Allen did, in his song "My Weakness".

Sunrise on the east side
Want to wake up next to you
But I'm dreaming on the west side
Trying to find my way to you

[Wow, if this isn't a shoutout to Gatsby...]

Tell me you want me
Speechless and I'm shaking
Tell me you need me
You better believe when I say you are my weakness
You are my weakness and you get me ever time

Gatsby dreams not just of Daisy physically; he wants her to admit that she only needs him, only loves him, only ever wanted him. His passion for her love binds him to his fate, obstructing the warnings and advice of Nick. Daisy is Gatsby's weakness, to the point that he shields her from Myrtle's death and dies in her place. A fatal game of "She loves me, She loves me not", if I do say so myself, with such a lethal daisy.