Lonely at the Top

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald, 180).

Another repetitive theme in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is the "fake popularity" of Jay Gatsby.  The money, cars, clothes, and houses seem to create a very fulfilling lifestyle.  However, until Nick, I do not think Gatsby had friends that truly cared about him.  The people that came to his party were either people he was trying to impress or glitzy, glamorous representations of his wealth.  After gaining all the money, he found himself alone and began searching for the life he used to know and attempted to re-create it, but this time he had money.  I think everyone during the twenties and even now believes that money solves not all, but most problems.  Money obviously creates problems too.  In Gatsby's case, wealth takes him away from the happiness he once knew.  In attempt to recreate this happiness with money, Gatsby loses himself.  I think, given the choice, Gatsby would have rather been happy and impoverished than wealthy and alone.