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The Great Gatsby Wooden Headedness Analysis

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In everyday actions and decisions, human nature dictates that ignorance is very common. Barbara Tuchman’s theory of “wooden-headedness”, can be applied to real life on many different levels. Wooden headedness consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. This is when a person acts according to a wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts. Ignorance plays a substantial role in human affairs, although some may think it is just how kids are raised by their parents. Frequently, people will not give in to admitting they’re wrong, even though there may be facts in front of them. Wooden-headedness plays a remarkably large role in human actions and decisions. …show more content…

In the book "The Great Gatsby" written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides multiple examples of wooden-headedness. Gatsby shows a great deal of stubbornness with his emotions towards Daisy. At one point in time, they were in love, although times have changed. Finally seeing Daisy after many years (present participle), he still thinks they will once again be in love. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, and is not interested in being with Gatsby. Although Gatsby oversees this, and attempts to make her once again fall for him. Even though Gatsby is always home, home is very lonesome to him which causes some pain. (anadiplosis) Daisy then cheats on Tom with Gatsby, giving Gatsby false hope about their love. Another form of wooden-headedness is Tom being too stubborn to give into the idea that his wife was cheating on him. He still believes she would never betray him, even though he does it all the time. Another way Gatsby is so ignorant is his constant want for his life to be a mystery. The town has rumors upon rumors about Gatsby. He supposedly is a great Oxford man, has killed someone and was a German spy. Knowing these rumors were going around, Gatsby was too ignorant to do anything about it. He liked the fact his life was a mystery to others, and even to

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The prevalence of wooden headedness in human actions and decisions is a force that slows progress and results in poor decision-making, but some may argue that maintaining one's beliefs and values is necessary. As seen in the novel The Great Gatsby with the character Tom Buchanan, there is a strong prevalence of wooden headedness in human affairs and decisions. Tom Buchanan, one of the main characters in The Great Gatsby is shown to persistent in several different ways while also remaining narcissistic. He wouldn’t change his values on Daisy even though she was openly in love with another man.

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Fitzgerald in the novel, uses careless individuals who would destroy everything and everyone and yet still manage to retreat back to their money. Daisy Buchanan, the ‘golden girl’ is rather dishonest and deceitful throughout the novel. As she starts having her affair with Gatsby, she creates unrealistic expectations in Gatsby head about their future together. As Gatsby is having drinks at the Buchanan’s, Tom leaves the room and Daisy kisses Gatsby and declares, ‘I don’t care!’ At this point, the audience realizes that Daisy is and always was in love with Gatsby and that she was prepared to leave Tom.

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Gatsby is now relying on Daisy that she will reject Tom’s love and ultimately end up with him. Another aspect of his impulsiveness is Gatsby's willingness to do anything in life to please Daisy. He will be very hypercritical to make sure there are no faults when it comes to pleasing Daisy. He asks Daisy, “Do you like it?”(Fitzgerald 90). Gatsby always wants to gain Daisy’s approval; moreover, influencing Daisy with all the

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Scott Fitzgerald shows many points in Gatsby’s actions and words that the reader can decide how he really felt for Daisy. It’s up to the reader’s imagination to see what mindset Gatsby has and whether his love for Daisy was either obsession, affection, or objectification. The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of how love and lust can drive a man crazy, whether it’s Tom, Gatsby, or Wilson. When Nick ends with, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (189). Showed that no matter how hard Gatsby fought for Daisy’s heart and his American Dream, he was pushed back and had to start over, getting closer and closer, but he never got to fulfill his dream, and that’s the way life goes for many

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In the book, Gatsby is very foolish, his actions are unreasonable and unrealistic. “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: "I never loved you."” (125) Gatsby had expected Daisy to be the same girl she was five years ago, but the truth is that she isn't. Many things had happened to the both of them and he had set up a foolish expectation that Daisy was willing to leave Tom for him. Gatsby’s foolishness originated with Daisy.

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In the story, it is revealed that Gatsby’s sense

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Gatsby doesn’t really show what he really is to the public, and that makes him a different person from what the others think of

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Beginning with becoming rich and buying the house across the Bay he developed an obsession with her. Unable to live his life, searching the papers everyday hoping to catch just a glimpse of her name to see what she was up to, Gatsby was setting himself up for failure. He never opened up to the idea that things could change and that Daisy could love someone else. Daisy pushed Gatsby away in the end because of the person Tom had made him out to be. She saw Gatsby as damaged which only damaged him more, leaving him to feel unloved by the person he loved

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The Great Gatsby Appearance vs Reality The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about how a man by the name of Jay Gatsby tries to win the heart of Daisy Buchanan, the woman he loves. The entirety of The Great Gatsby is told through the narrator, Nick Carraway. At first, Nick views the lifestyle of Jay Gatsby, Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan in awe, but soon discovers that these people are not who they appear. Fitzgerald uses his characters and literary devices in The Great Gatsby to demonstrate the theme of appearance versus reality.

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(109). This is the first sign of Gatsby’s poor mental state following Daisy pulling away from him. He becomes angry and seems as if he will snap at any moment because he realizes that Daisy has led him on, seeming to love him and move on from Tom, but then changes her mind and pulls away from

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(99) In this moment, Gatsby makes it clear to Daisy that he could easily provide her with the same lifestyle she shares with Tom. Once Gatsby captures Daisy’s affection, he becomes full of greed and doesn’t want to believe she ever gave any of her love to Tom. “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’” (118) When Daisy states “‘Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom,’ (142), Gatsby begins to feel a “touch of panic” (142). All of his parties, stories, and entire persona were all fabricated to win Daisy back.

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Myrtle is accustomed to living an underprivileged life where feminine power engulfs her, but Tom is too egotistical to allow Myrtle to speak with such authority to him. Similarly, Gatsby’s need for assurance from Daisy pressures her into revealing to Tom that she never loved him (Fitzgerald 132). Deep down, Daisy knows that she truly did love Tom once, but Gatsby’s assertiveness and persistence drives her over the edge to telling Tom that what the two of them shared meant nothing to her. Daisy’s attribute of being a pushover is revealed immensely because she refuses to stand up for herself. Daisy is used to enabling Tom to constantly control all aspects of her life, and that leaves her powerless in society.

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