Have you ever been in a situation where you have almost achieved your goal, but something is stopping you from fully accomplishing it? Jay Gatsby, one of the protagonists of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, loses the love of his life, Daisy, due to years of separation and tries to win her back. However, Daisy's husband Tom won't let her go so easily. Gatsby fights to find the lover he has been waiting for for so many years. Preceding Gatsby's risky quest, his main goal in life is to obtain great wealth in order to impress the beautiful Daisy. He only thinks about Daisy and their life together. He will do anything to be reunited, regardless of the consequences. Jay's dark side is revealed and the anima is present throughout his journey. Gatsby appears to be a selfless, caring and majestic young man. Upon careful examination, it is revealed that he is malicious and selfish because he wants Daisy for himself and is willing to ruin a family for her. But his anima shows how caring, romantic, and vulnerable he is through his devotion and passion for Daisy. Gatsby fails to complete a traditional hero's journey, but he creates his own unique version of the archetype. In this unorthodox interpretation, Gatsby learns the repercussions of wanting what you can't have and dishonesty throughout his battle for his lover. The enigmatic Jay Gatsby is an unconventional hero. Despite this, Jay has characteristics that follow the archetype. In keeping with the Hero's Journey archetype, Gatsby's origin is mysterious. Even his closest friends don't know about his questionable past. He certainly has imperfections, but he's not a fool. He experiences an internal call to adventure, ...... middle of paper ...... a magnificently wealthy young man for years only to be shocked that he is an imposter. Additionally, Nick is led to believe that the East is a magical place where everyone's dreams come true. He is troubled when he discovers that the East is just the opposite. If you judge something solely on appearance, you'll find yourself in for a rude awakening in the end. Works Cited by Coughlin, Kathleen. “Hero’s Journey Archetype: Protagonists, aka Hero Types.” » Course document. AS English I. Department of English, Woodside High School. October 22, 2013.Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. “The Great Gatsby” print. SparkNotes. SparkNotes and Web. December 15, 2013. “The Hero’s Journey.” » Publications Ariane, 1997. Course document. AS English I. Department of English, Woodside High School. October 26 2013.