Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses death by suicide.

Through the lens of Hollywood, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores how the fleeting nature of desire, the endurance of love, and the ache of loss permeate the lives of the novel’s characters. Cecilia is the character who experiences the most love and loss. She harbors a deep affection for Stahr and has known him from childhood. When she meets him on the plane, she is unable to resist the desire “to marry Stahr” and “to make him love” her (31). This desire underscores her yearning for a reciprocation that remains elusive, as she attempts to match her own emotions against the weight of Stahr’s seasoned heart, resulting only in heartbreak. The tone of inevitability creeps in as Cecilia acknowledges that her situation is “rather hopeless” (32). This unrequited love serves as the initial instance of Cecilia’s heartache, setting the stage for a cascade of losses that she endures. Her journey through love and loss, ultimately culminating in the deaths of her father and ex-lover Stahr, defines the novel’s exploration of human connection and its inevitable pains.