Short Story: Don't Lose Yourself

• The story follows Samuel, who feels alone despite his success as he leans against the Brooklyn Bridge, observing the city.
• Samuel came from a poor background in Queens, driven by a need to escape weakness.
• He quickly climbed the ranks in his industry, excelling in persuasion and deal-making.
• Samuel's pursuit of power led to sacrificing personal relationships and feeling like a ghost in his own life.
• Caroline, an old love, saw through Samuel's facade, accusing him of running from something rather than chasing success.
• Samuel fears waking up to realize he lost himself building an empire, with every interaction becoming a transaction.
• At a crossroads, Samuel considers attending a gala but hesitates, contemplating Caroline's old note, which read: “Don’t lose yourself trying to win the world”.
• Instead of the gala, Samuel wanders into a bookstore, seeking solace among old books and the scent of paper and coffee.
• He finds a poetry collection that reminds him of Caroline and a life less focused on ambition.
• Faced with the call of his constructed world, Samuel chooses the book and an aimless walk, signaling a potential change.

Inspiration and Themes

• The story was inspired by a stimulus image of a solitary figure at a crossroads, symbolizing choice and self-reflection.
• The story reflects the theme of ambition versus personal fulfillment, mirroring similar ideas in The Great Gatsby.
• Samuel is similar to Gatsby, as they both construct identities based on external validation but remain emotionally unfulfilled.

Allusions to The Great Gatsby

• Samuel's character arc and thematic conflict are shaped by The Great Gatsby, in which Gatsby sacrifices meaningful relationships in pursuit of wealth and status.
• Caroline mirrors Daisy, representing an idealized past lost to the protagonist's ambitions.
• Caroline's words echo the tragic self-delusion that leads to Gatsby's downfall.

Symbolism

• The protagonist's note from Caroline serves as a reminder of what Samuel has sacrificed.
• The Brooklyn Bridge functions as a liminal space, like Gatsby’s mansion, where the protagonist faces reality.
• Gala versus bookstore has a parallel in Gatsby's parties which reinforce the idea that material success doesn't equate to fulfillment.

Writing Techniques

• The story uses a third-person reflective perspective, similar to Nick Carraway's narration, to observe Samuel's conflict with emotional depth.
• Sensory imagery illustrates the isolation that accompanies the pursuit of illusion, paralleling Fitzgerald's descriptions of Gatsby's wealth.