Time is considered an essential aspect in great novels; Fitzgerald uses time constantly throughout his book in the company of his characters. One of Fitzgerald’s characters, Gatsby, represents a man who wants to go back in time, and believes he can modify things from the present to the past. This can be uncovered when Gatsby speaks his mind to Nick, “Can’t repeat the past?” he

cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!” He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand. “I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before”’(Fitzgerald 116). Jay Gatsby believes that he can manifest a fantasy life where he is prosperous, and where Daisy is devoted to him. R. W. Stallman in his critical essay states, “To fix time and reinstate thus the past in the present, to wipe the slate clean and begin anew – that is Gatsby’s illusion”(Stallman 57). Gatsby’s beliefs that he can fix time are symbolized as an illusion, which will by no means occur. Gatsby goes throughout numerous obstacles to gain the illusion of Daisy becoming aware of him. Some of these obstacles consist of moving to a residence near Daisy. Jordan and Nick speak of Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay”’(Fitzgerald 83). Jay Gatsby’s object of vision, Daisy, finally becomes reality for Gatsby when they equally meet together. In his critical essay Stallman proves this by writing, “Their meeting sets the clock back, as it were, to that time when Gatsby possessed Daisy five years ago; Gatsby leaning against the clock and tilting it identifies himself thus with time (Stallman 57). Gatsby’s reference to changing the past nearly becomes a certainty for him, and things almost work out intended for him and Daisy. Time is represented as

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