Unrequited Love

Unrequited- (adj.) Not returned or reciprocated. Commonly used in relation to feelings, especially love. Unrequited love is a common motif throughout The Great Gatsby, most notably in Daisy, Tom and Gatsby, and Myrtle and George.

The love Triangle between Daisy, Tom and Gatsby is the most prominent source of unrequited love in the novel. While Tom loves Daisy, Daisy only loves Gatsby. Gatsby expects Daisy to tell him that she has only ever loved him, because he has only ever loved her. But that's not true. During their five year hiatus, Gatsby's love was unreturned as Daisy loved Tom.

Finally, the love that George has for Myrtle is as unreturned as any other in the novel. George loves Myrtle with all of his heart, but Myrtle is too materialistic to love George's poor lifestyle. Therefore, she found a way out in Tom. Myrtle loves Tom, but this love is also unrequited. Tom only uses her as an outlet for what he can't get from Daisy.
Source: The Great Gatsby.

Selfish People

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, two main character show your selfish nature. These two people are Mr. Jay Gatsby and Mr. Tom Buchanan.

Jay Gatsby shows his selfishness by trying to force Daisy, Tom's wife, to leave Tom and be with Jay. Even though Daisy and Tom don't have the best marriage, they are still a married couple and Jay is trying to intrude into their lives and have Daisy all to himself.

Tom Buchanan shows his selfish nature by having an affair with Mr. Wilson's wife, Myrtle. He's cheating on his wife and in a marriage. He leaves Daisy and satisfy his own selfish needs, when he has a loving wife at home. But he insists on having sex with another person.

The Great Gatsby Film Versions

The Great Gatsby has been twice made into a movie, once in 1974, once in 2000. While I prefer the 1974 version because of its higher accuracy to the novel, both the 2000 version and the 1974 version capture the essence of the novel. However, I feel as if the 2000 version strayed away from the more linear qualities of the 1974 version, and interpreted the book in its own way.

The 1974 version of The Great Gatsby is a much better interpretation of the novel. It follows the book almost exactly, only straying from the dialouge to express ideas otherwise impossible. This version featured well known actors and actresses of the 70's, such as Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, and Sam Waterson.

The 2000 version of The Great Gatsby took a much more liberal outlook of interpreting the book. They incorporated new ideas, and changed dialouges, settings, and actions to match what they wanted. Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvina, and Paul Rudd all starred in this TV movie based on one of the greatest novels the 20th century.

Source: Personal experience watching the movies.

Source: Actors and Actresses: www.imbd.com/title/tt0210719/

www.imbd.com/title/tt0071577/