Goals Are Important In Life English Literature Essay

Both characters (Jay Gatsby and Ernesto Guevara) are dreamers, but each of them has his own vision of what a goal is and how to reach it. Besides, they are really different in many aspects, such as values, preferences, ways of thinking, etc. First of all, Gatsby was motivated by love, and his goal was to get Daisy’s love without caring about how difficult it could be. He was able to do anything to get her heart. Whereas, the first Gatsby’s goal was to get money, and then, it was to have a good social position to be interesting for Daisy and in that way he could get her love. He started his life being poor, so having money was his priority at the beginning. He thought that money could get a woman’s love. So, in this case the money was the mean to get his goal. I think Gatsby is the representation of Neruda’s poem “You are the result of yourself” (unknown source):

It refers to the fact that Gatsby finally became in what he wished, he left his natural way of being to become someone similar to whom he loved, so in his case his goal became his reason of life, and he thought that to be like her (it refers to have her social position) would reduce the gap between them.

On the other hand, Ernesto Guevara’s goal, at the very beginning, was just travelling. That was his first vision. However, it changed along his journey. He also changed his way of thinking. He matured a lot during his trip. He was not worried about love. At the beginning, he was in love with Chichina, but when this relationship finished, he just found the love wherever he went. So love was secondary for him as also it was money. He realized that money was not the most important thing to help people; actually, people need people to help themselves. His motivation was the people health, not love. He did not have a bad economic situation, but he just used money for his basic needs.

Overall, the values involved in each character to get their goals were different. Jay Gatsby was ingenuous because he was so bewitched by love thus he did not realize about what happened around him. His goal (Daisy’s love) became his life reason, without respecting Daisy’s marriage. He was blind of love. He could not see the horrible things that happened around him. He also was dishonest, and he got his fortune through criminal activities. He only wanted to achieve wealth to impress Daisy, so he could not see the dimension about what he did to get his goal, if it was good or not. Everything was allowed for him in order to get what he wanted. Perhaps, this phrase summarizes Gatsby’s problem:

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” Denis Watley

By comparison, Ernesto really had values which he based on his actions. It is easy to realize he had a vocation for doctor; he did not help expecting to receive something from others. Although his first goal was only travelling around Latin America, it changed when he realized about what he could do to help other people. This change in his way of thinking can be seen in the book when he saw a couple in the north of our country; then he points out:

“It was one of the coldest times in my life, but also one which made me feel a little more brotherly toward this strange, for me anyway, human species.” (Guevara 2004:78)

Then his journey started to involve values such as solidarity, brotherhood, friendship, etc. Nonetheless, it was his personality and his way of being what allowed him to get closer to people. His humility was really characteristic of him. It is different in comparison with Jay Gatsby, who was able to lie or do anything possible (he does not mind if it was correct or not) to reach his goal. Gatsby, not only went beyond certain limits about what is morally correct, but also he did not show to have values in his acts. Love became in an obsession for him. In the case of Ernesto Guevara, he showed constantly love he felt for his mother, when he sent her some letters. So, it was a different kind of love, not as Gatsby felt.

Another thing to be compared between both books is money. In “The Great Gatsby” it seems to be the main key to get a goal. But, what could have happened if Gatsby had taken another way instead of money? It is related with the following lines:

“It is a most mortifying reflection for a man to consider what he has done, compared to what he might have done.” Johnson (1770)

It has to do with, although he could not reach his goal, he tried to do it, and also if he did not carry it out, it was not because he did not want, actually, it was because the fate interfered in the process to get his goal. So he could not regret about he did not do, because he did all what was in his hands to reach his goal. He never renounced to his dream. It follows that both characters have this feature. Both of them did not give up reaching their goals. The difference is what each of them wanted and how they planned to get it. Ernesto did not think that money could be the mean to get his goal despite the fact he had a good economic situation. He preferred to leave money apart and continue carrying out his dream with the minimal amount of necessary things to survive. Perhaps, Ernesto Guevara followed the George Elliot’s principle (1819 – 1880), which says: “One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.” For Ernesto, the sensation of giving and knowing that he made people feel happy, was irreplaceable and money could not buy it. On the other hand, Jay Gatsby considered that he could get all what he wanted with money, and in his case, he also thought he could buy Daisy’s love, but it is impossible.

All in all, both characters did all what they could do to get what they dreamed, but in the case of Gatsby, he did not respect Daisy’s marriage, and he continue trying to get her love, but he did not realize that he was interfering a marital relation, so in some cases any value was shown by his part. So love was blinding him. Consequently, he finished being murdered by George Wilson (Daisy’s husband), who was only defending what belongs to him. On the other hand, Ernesto was a man with solid values. He did not get his dreams ignoring the morality and people rights. He accomplished his goal paying his attention on helping people, and in this way he could mature and change his first intention, which was only travelling, so he changed for helping and being in constant support of poor and sick people. So they were really different. Gatsby only thought in achieving his goal by his own benefit. If he would have got Daisy’s love, he was the only person who have made happy. On the contrary, Ernesto dreamed with helping people. He felt powerless when he could not do anything for somebody. Also, the important thing here is that he left his family, his house and all what he loved to reach his dream. He left everything behind. Nevertheless, the clearest difference is the opposite ways that both characters took to follow and carry out their goals. It means that, first of all, Jay Gatsby needed money to get his goal; and the other way around is that Ernesto Guevara, having money, preferred to attempt to do it with the most basic and necessary things to live. He knew that money does not buy everything. Both of them are related to this phrase: “Do not turn back when you are just at the goal.” Publilius Syrus (~100 BC, Maxims). This phrase means that they gave all they could give to make their goals possible. Sometimes, as in the case of Gatsby, the fate can interfere and may not allow you to get a goal for many reasons, such as distractions along the way, lack of motivation, sicknesses, etc. It has to do with this: “We find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.” (Maltz 2004). There are many ways to get a goal, but the first rule is that this goal does not go beyond the limits of people rights or feelings. It does not have to interfere with that, in order to be fair. From this the reader can make his/her own conclusions, but what I could take from these characters is that both of them are dreamers who spent most of his life trying to reach their goals, without caring how much it cost. Motivation was an elemental factor to make this possible, because they could have given up in the middle of the road but they did not do it. Both are stories of how to overcome in life, knowing that is worth fighting for what you always dreamed. They also made of their goal a reason to live, so they were sort of adventurers, because for them, life was and adventure where you can either be a winner or a looser, but if you lose, you will be proud that you fought for what you wanted.