Love is a subjective and special word for each individual. Every human being has their own thoughts and notions about love. This intense feeling of affection and bonding can be the most incomparable and priceless state one could ever be in. However, there is a fine line between love and obsession. This passionate intensity can only become extremely colossal and turn into a problem. The problem of creating a false narrative in one's mind and one-sided expectations can harm people in the relationship. In the poem She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron and in The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, the theme of obsessive love is explored and manifested. The characters in both the poem and the novel both reveal their intense and problematic devotion and love for a woman through their disturbing actions and disturbing characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe speaker of Lord Byron's poem and Gatsby in Fitzgerald's novel both show their obsessions with a particular woman. In She Walks In Beauty, the speaker is clearly consumed by the woman's beauty. He evidently spends his time observing the individual who knows every little facial feature he possesses. Talk in detail about his outward appearance. It says, “And all that is best in darkness and light / is met in his countenance and in his eyes;” (3-4). It is evident that the speaker also knows which light suits his eyes. This can be perceived as an obsession as he knows every single detail of the unnamed woman. In comparison, Gatsby from The Great Gatsby also demonstrates his obsessive love for Daisy. When Gatsby finally reaches the level of wealth he dreams of being, he intentionally buys a house across the bay in hopes of being closer to her. Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy's, tells Nick that “It wasn't a strange coincidence at all…. [Gatsby] bought that house so Daisy would be across the bay” (Fitzgerald 65). It is clear that Gatsby goes to worrying lengths to reunite with the idealized version of the woman he hasn't seen in years. He is obsessed with the idea of having a perfect relationship with her. Both the speaker of the poem and Gatsby reveal their obsession through their strange actions. Both characters reveal their obsession in both the poem and the novel. In Lord Byron's poem, the speaker once again shows signs of obsession with the woman in the poem. He says, “It would partially weaken the nameless grace / That waves in every raven tresses / Or softly lights her face” (8-10). It is clear that he spends a lot of time observing the woman. His intense infatuation with her is obvious to the point that it's disturbing how much he knows about her. It is disturbing that he explains that his dark hair indicates the darkness of his beauty when he is nowhere near the nameless woman. Subsequently, in The Great Gatsby, the protagonist Gatsby demonstrates his obsession with Daisy through the album he keeps in his house. The album contains all of Daisy's letters and photos from the years he saw her. He also constantly checks on her during the years she didn't live in West Egg. Baker says: “When I said you were a friend of Tom's, he started to abandon the idea. He doesn't know much about Tom, although he says he read a Chicago newspaper for years just hoping to catch a glimpse of Daisy's name” (Fitzgerald 66). This quote alone demonstrates his obsessive behavior as he constantly investigates her life and actions when they haven't seen each other in years. Gatsby knows things about Daisy and haunts her by reading.
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