Love in The Great Gatsby - Help

[ViperRider]

Hi, I read The Great Gatsby for one of my classes and I have to write an essay about the different types of love shown in the novel. From the assignment description "We see different types of love in this novel. What are three types of love and who embodies them?". I am quite stumped and I was wondering if anyone here could help me out.

I know Gatsby loved Daisy in one way, and Daisy loved Tom in a different way, but after that I'm stumped.

Thanks

[alias3r]

maybe u could write about how Tom loved Myrtle, how Nick loved Jordan Baker, and you could also reverse some of those mentioned.

Like the way Daisy loved Tom (she loved him in a way because he offered financial security) and u could also write about the way Tom loved Daisy (how he wasn't very passionate to her and how his view of love was having affairs and stuff)

im no literay teacher or nothin, just an average kid that had to read the book too. im better in math and science, but i hope that sort of helped.

[mulligan]

Consider this:

Spiritual (true) love--think of the love based on a shared history and intamacy. Tom's mention of Kapiolani (sp?) or Nick and Jordan.

Material/Necessity--think of Myrtle's love for Tom. Remember her looking at the advertisement to avoid his eyes?

Ideal--think of Gatsby's attempt to recapture the perfect moment with Daisy or Nick's love for Gatsby. (and no, Nick is not gay)

These types of love shift and change throughout the novel. Hope this helps.

[kelby_lake]

Well, you have the lust with Tom and Myrtle. There is a degree of fondness in there but it's not love exactly.
Nick and Jordan are more casual love.
Nick loves Gatsby in the sense that he admires him, to an extent.

[Megan_Mitchell]

There is the idea of lust and fasicination with Myrtle and Tom due to the idea that they're having an affair, there is the idea of first love with Daisy and Gatsby and that is why Daisy has such a strong attraction to Gatsby. In addition, there is the idea of family love through Nick and Daisy (they're cousins)

[Ett_Jess]

There's a lot of different variations of love present through "The Great Gatsby" as a whole.
There is the idea of first love, which is present through Daisy and Gatsby, which could also emerge as reunited love and unrequited love as Daisy admits later on when confronted by Tom that she doesn't love Gatsby however it is clear that Gatsby is in love with her.
There's also the idea of family love as Nick and Daisy are second cousins and at the beginning of the novel, Nick sees Daisy as innocent so it provides the connotation that Nick should protect Daisy, however towards the end of the novel we see that Nick's opinions of Daisy has drastically changed.
Another type of love present is the love that comes with lust, Tom and Myrtle don't love each other, they merely only lust after each other but it still provides the reader with some kind of question about their lust because Myrtle wants Tom to divorce Daisy, which he says he can't ever do, and how Tom reacts after Myrtle's death. He feels like he has to make sure that everyone, especially George, knows that he wasn't the one that killed Myrtle, although that could just be because he didn't want to implemented for the murder of his mistress.

[Cam3r0n]

There are many variations of love shown in 'The Great Gatsby'.
There firstly is the idea of marital love. Tom and Daisy are married, and are shown to stick together until the end - though both of them are unfaithful. This shows a sense of loyalty within them both, however this could be manifested as fear.
There is the idea of first love. Daisy was Gatsby's first love, and he incessantly 'chased' her until his dying day. This could show how he truly loved her - however this could show his obsession.
Nick's love for Gatsby could be argued is bordering on obsession - whether this be romantic or platonic love. Nick wrote that 'there was something gorgeous about him', and the title of the book reads 'The Great Gatsby'.
There also is forbidden love - as shown by Tom and Myrtle. Tom's affair with Myrtle is seen and known by everyone so cannot be classed as secret, but it is forbidden as both are already married, and Tom flaunts Myrtle about around town, which was very controversial at the time.