JoselynnSantos

Hutloff
AmericanStudies
Period1&2
February27,2013

GatsbyandDaisysRomance:Realityvs.Fantasy
TheGreatGatsby
isanovelfromthe1920swrittenbyF.ScottFitzgerald.Itwasalso
adoptedonafilmdirectedbyBazLuhrmannin2013.TheGreatGatsbytellsthestoryabouta
youngworkingclassmanwithgreatimaginationandambitionofcreatingagreaterlifefor
himself,liketheonehebelievedhedeserved.Heneveracceptedthefactofhisfamilybeing
poorandstartedajourneythatwouldmakehislifeadvanceandprospered.Thestoryisnarrated
byNickCarraway,theonlytruefriendGatsbyeverhad.JayGatsby'sdestinyisdrastically
changewhenhemeetsandfallsinlovewithabornwealthygirlnamedDaisyBuchanan,Nicks
cousin.DaisywasonlygirlheeverlovedandshebecamepartofthegreatdreamthatJayGatsby
hadimagineforhimself.ThroughoutthestorywecouldseeandlearnaboutGatsbyandDaisys
loveandseehowbothpeoplewanteddifferentthingsrelatedtotheirrelationship.Gatsbyslove
wasalwaysinfiniteandhopeful,whileDaisyswassadlyconvenientandlimited.
ThelovestorybetweenGatsbyandDaisystartedassomethingpureandinnocent.They
metforthefirsttimeintheyear1917.Theywerebothtotallydifferentpeople,andcomingfrom
differentsocialclasseswouldmaketheirlovedifficultbecauserichgirlsdon'tmarrypoor
man.BeforemeetingDaisy,Jayalreadyhadaplanandavisiononthepathhislifehadtotake

butwhenhemethereverythingchange.Heknewthatwhenhekissedthisgirl,andforeverwed
hisunutterablevisionstoherperishablebreath,hismindwouldneverrompagainlikethemind
ofGod.Sohewaited,listeningforamomentlongertothetuningforkthathadbeenstruckupon
astar.Thenhekissedher.Athislipstouchsheblossomedforhimlikeaflowerandthe
incarnationwascomplete.(110)OnceGatsbyletDaisyinhislifeshebecamepartofit,a
connectionthatwouldlastforever.NowGatsbysdreamdidnotonlyinvolvedhim,Daisyhadto
beinittoo.Gatsbywenttowarbuthewasn'tabletocomebackwhenexpectedandDaisy
couldn'twaitforhimanylonger.Herlifehadtotakeshapeandkeepmovingforwardwithor
withoutGatsby.DaisyendedupmarryingTomBuchananandstartedherlife,whileGatsbywas
fightingtobecomesomeoneforher.Bythiswecanseehowboththoughtindifferentways.
Daisydidwhatwasconvenientforherfuture,shemighthavelovedGatsbybutthelovewasn't
asstrong,itdidn'tstopherfrommarryinganotherman.Gatsbyslovewasdifferent,his
connectiontoDaisywasrealandstrongandhewasgoingtofightforhisloveevenifittookhim
yearstoachieveit.ThedifferencebetweenGatsbyandDaisysloveatthebeginningwasthat
Gatsbywasahopelessromantic,hewouldratherfollowhisheartoverhismind,hethought
abouteverythinginahopefulwayandthatifhejustbelievedandfoughtforit,itwouldhappen.
Daisywasmorereasonableandthoughtabouttheconsequences,shetriedtofollowhermind
overherheartandthatsthereasonwhyitwaseasierforhertomarryTom,thenforGatsbyto
forgetabouther.
Inthemiddleofthestory,5yearshavepassedsinceDaisyandGatsbyhavemet.Now
DaisylivesinLongIsland,,EasteggwithTomandherdaughter.Gatsbyhasnowcomeback
withhisdreamalmostcompletedaname,classandmoneybutstillmissingonepiece,Daisy.He

waswellknownforhavingoutragespartieseveryweekend,everybodyinNewYorkwould
attendbutwhatwasthepurposeofthoseparties?Gatsbyboughthishouserightacrossthebay
whereDaisyshousewasat.Heboughtthathousetobeclosetoherandhethrewalldoes
partiestoseeifshewouldwonderinoneday.Hehaddonealldoesthingsforagirlhehadnot
seen.After5years,GatsbywantstoseeDaisyagainandwithhelpofNicktheyseeeachother
again.InthebookGatsby'sreactiontothereunionshowshowafter5years,heisstillinlove
Heliterallyglowedwithoutawordorgestureofexultationanewwellbeingradiatedfromhim
andfilledthelittleroom.Daisywasalsohappyandtheirloveresumed,theywereseeingeach
otheragain,Iwantedsomebodywhowouldn'tgossip.Daisycomesoverquiteofteninthe
afternoon.Gatsbyhadtofireallhisservantssothatnobodywouldknowfornowaboutthem
untiltheywereready.Gatsbyhadthisideaofbeingabletorepeatthepastandthatswhathewas
tryingtodo,recovertheirloveandnowbeabletobehappy,sincemoneywasn'tanobstaclefor
theirlove.GatsbywantedDaisytoleaveTomandTellhimIneverlovedyousothatthey
couldstartanewlife.Hewaswaitingfortherighttimeandforhertobereadyandshewas.
EverybodywasinDaisyshousethatday:Tom,Jordan,NickandGatsby.WhileinDaisys
house,DaisyhadtotellTomaboutGatsbybutshewasscaredandavoidedthesubject.Butshe
saidsomethingtoGatsby,Youlooksocool.Youalwayslooksocool.Youresemblethe
advertisementoftheman,themanwiththebeautifulshirts.ShehadtoldGatsbythatsheloved
himandeverybody,includingTomhadnoticed.InthissectionwecouldseedoubtsinDaisy,she
isinlovewithGatsbybutisshebraveenoughtoleaveTomandcomeoutofhercommodities
justforlove.ThismakesherdifferentfromGatsbyshedoubts,shethinks,Gatsbyfollowshis
heartandwoulddoanythingforherinaheartbeat.

Towardstheendofthestory,whileeverybodyisintown,thewholetruthcameoutabout
DaisyandGatsby.GatsbytoldTomthatDaisyneverlovedhimandthatshewasgoingtoleave
him.ButDaisyslovestartstobequestionable,SheonlymarriedyoubecauseIwaspoorand
shewastiredofwaitingforme.Itwasaterriblemistake,butinherheartsheneverlovedanyone
exceptme.IsittrueloveifyougettiredofwaitingbecausecertaintyGatsbydidnot.Itseems
likeGatsbyistheonlyonesupportingthestatementlikeifthatswhathewantedtobelievebut
Daisywouldn'tsayaword.TheonlythingsheneedittosaytoendeverythingwasInever
lovedyoutoTombutshecouldn'tdoitbecauseitwasn'ttrue.EvenaloneIcan'tsayInever
lovedTom.Itwouldn'tbetrue.Shecouldn'thelpthepast,shehadlovedthemboth.Tomstarted
torevealalotoftruthsaboutGatsbyandDaisystartedtofearofGatsbyandquestionedwhohe
reallywas..Herfrightenedeyestoldthatwhateverintentions,whatevercourageshehad,were
definitelygoneShewasn'tgoingtobeGatsby,nowthathisidentitywasquestionableshedidn't
feelsafe,shefeltmoresecurewithTom,hismoneywasclean.Tomhadwonandhewasso
confidentthathetoldDaisytogowithGatsbybackhome.Ontheridebackhome,whileDaisy
droveanincidenthappened,shekilledawoman,Myrtlewhowasironically,Tommistress.But
Gatsby'skeptitasecretandinanycaseofpeoplefindingouthewouldsayitwashim.Afterthat
night,NicktellsthathesawlateatnighthowDaisyandTomseemcloserthanever,Therewas
anunmistakableairofnaturalintimacyaboutthepicture,andanybodywouldhavesaidthatthey
wereconspiringtogether.WhileDaisywascloserthanevertoTom,Gatsbywasoutside
watchingoverbecausehecared.SoIwalkedawayandlefthimstandinginthe
moonlightwatchingovernothing.Here,wecanseehowDaisysloveforGatsbywaskindof
fake.ShethinksthatshecouldgetoutofitanytimeshewantsbutGatsby,evenaftershe

betrayedhim,hestillbelievedshewouldgowithhim.
Thenextday,GatsbywaswaitingforDaisytocallliketheyhadplannedandrunaway
butitwasdoubtfulifshewasgoingtocallnow.Hewouldn'tconsiderit.Hecouldn'tpossibly
leaveDaisyuntilheknewwhatshewasgoingtodo>Hewasclutchingatsomelasthopeandi
couldn'tbaretosethimfree.Hewasn'tgoingtogiveupnow,whenhefeltthathisdreamwas
soclose.Thatsameday,hegotshot,Myrtleshusbandshoothim,afterTomspreadrumorsof
whothekillermightbe.Inthefilm,WhenGatsbydieshislastwordswereDaisyandhe
reachedouttoherhouse,tothegreenlight.Ithinkthatwasaperfecttouchbecausehewasso
close,hewantedhersobadbuthedidn'tknowthathistimeforhimandDaisytobetogetherhad
alreadypassedandhecouldn'tgetitback.Forhisfuneral,nobodyattendedonlyNick.Daisy,
whoapparentlycaredforhim,shedidn'tattend.shedidn'tevensendaflower.Afterallthelove
hegaveher,sherepaidhimwithnothing.Theywerecarelesspeople,TomandDaisy,they
smashedupthingsandcreaturesandthenretreatedbackintotheirmoneyortheirvast
carelessness,orwhateveritwasthatkeptthemtogether,andletotherpeoplecleanupthemess
theyhadmade..HerewecanseehowcoldDaisyreallywas,sheletGatsbytaketheblamefor
themurderandshedidn'tcareabouthisdeath.Theydidn'tcareabouthisdeathorfeltguilt,they
justputhimintheirpastandmovedon.Intheend,Ibelievethatitsthegreatestexampleofhow
Daisysloveforgatsbywassorestrainedthatitwouldonlycontinueaslongasitwouldbesafe
andconvenientforherbutGatsby'slovewasalsojustafantasy,amemoryofwhatwasoncebut
noanymore.
Inmyopinionthebookandthefilmareverycompatibleandsymmetricalatrepresenting
theromancebetweenDaisyandGatsby.Inthebook,thefeelingsofeveryonearewellexpressed

withdepthanddetailed.Inthefilm,thefeelingsthatareexpressedthemostareGatsby'sandhis
dreamandhopefortheirlove.Thebookrepresentstheirlovestoryinaverymagicaland
fantasticalway,almostlikeafairytaleandithinkthefilmdoesareallygoodjobatrepresenting
themagicoftheloveanditsfantasy.Oneexampleofthis,wasthescenewereGatsbyandDaisy
seeeachotheragainafter5years.Thesceneinthebookanditseverydetailedwerebeautifully
representedandthefilmevenaddedalittlebitmoretoit,makingmorememorable.Intheother
handthefilmdidchangeandadddifferentthingsthatinmyopinionwerenecessaryandmade
thefilmcapturedtheessenceofthebookinabetterway.Oneexampleisattheendofthefilm,
whenGatsbygetsshot,hislastwordswereDaisywhilehewasreachingoutforthegreen
light.Ithinkthismadethemovieandhisdeathformeaningful,inthewaythathislastthoughts
werestillofhopeofreachingandcompletinghisultimatedream.
Gatsbyamanwhohadalltheskillstoleaveawonderfullife,endedupdeadbecauseof
hisloveforDaisyandhispersistenceoffulfillinghisdreamsexceedbeforereality.His
imaginationmadehimbelievethathecoulddoandgeteverythinghewantedbutmaybehe
wantedtoomuch.HekeptthinkingthatheandDaisycouldhaveafuturebutwhathedidnot
acceptwasthatitwasalreadyinthepast.ThetimeforhimandDaisytobetogetherwasalready
goneandhecouldn'tgetitback.Ibelieveindreamsbeingabletocometrueandthatwasagreat
qualityGatsbyhadtheextraordinarygiftofhopebutwhatIdon'tbelieveisinbeingableto
repeatthepast.Youcan'tgetbackwhatitsalreadygone,itsjustamemory,youcanseeitbut
youcan'ttouchit.