How Does Daisy Fail In The Great Gatsby

“He [Gatsby] stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way… I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 20) Gatsby reaches for Daisy, but like the light, can never actually take her. Nick Carraway moves to the West Egg, and is a neighbor to the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Nick learns about Gatsby’s love for Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is eventually murdered and fails to fulfill his dream of being with Daisy. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the pursuit of dreams. Jay Gatsby tries to achieve his dream of being with Daisy, but ultimately fails.

Gatsby tries to become perfect for Daisy, by changing who he is. Gatsby

was always trying to get ahead in life, by any means necessary. “He [Gatsby] and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores her and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.” (Fitzgerald 133) He was willing to become a criminal if it meant he had a better chance to be with Daisy. Gatsby knew she wouldn’t of even thought about him if he was poor, because her society revolves squarely around money. Gatsby also tries improve himself so he will fit in with Daisy. He tries to behave more like “old-money”, more prim and proper. Gatsby was always trying to become a better person. “General Resolves: No wasting time at Shafters or ( a name indecipherable), no more smokeing or chewing, bath every other day, read one improving book or magazine per week, save $5.00 (crossed-out) $3.00 per week, be better to parents.” (Fitzgerald 173) Gatsby was doing everything he could to accomplish his dream of being with Daisy, only Tom was in the way. Part of his dream was Daisy telling Tom that their marriage didn’t matter. “Just tell him the truth- that you never loved him- and it’s all wiped out forever.” Gatsby wants to believe that Daisy was just marrying Tom because of his money, refusing to accept Daisy’s unfaithfulness. Gatsby believes that Daisy is perfect, so he tries to match her image.
Despite all his effort, Gatsby doesn’t realize that being rich isn’t enough.

In 1920’s society, old money and new money were completely different. Despite both being rich, being new money was not as respectable. Old money folks believed they were better than everybody else. “‘Self-control!’ repeated Tom incredulously. “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from nowhere make love to your wife, if that’s the idea you can count me out…” Tom believes that he is better than Gatsby because he is old money. He is mad at Gatsby and Daisy’s affair, even though Tom himself was unfaithful. Gatsby also doesn’t realize that “old money” people have a certain air about them. “‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. That was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals of it… high in a white palace, the king’s daughter, the golden girl…” (Fitzgerald 120) Everybody is quick to notice Daisy’s beauty and enthralling voice. The old money people have a look and feel that can’t be learned. Even though the newly rich may have achieved more, they were never going to be as “accomplished” as those who sat around doing nothing all day. “I am still afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and as I snobbishly repeat, a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth.” (Fitzgerald 2) Just by being born rich, they are better than everyone else. There was a certain

prejudice against the newly rich that Gatsby could not overcome.
In Gatsby’s failure, Fitzgerald teaches that things never go as planned.

This is because our memories are biased. “No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” (Fitzgerald 96) In Gatsby’s dreams, Daisy is pure and impeccable, but in reality, she is quite flawed. The author demonstrates an important lesson on history. Gatsby believes he can reverse time to before Daisy and Tom were married. “‘You can’t repeat the past.’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ He cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” (Fitzgerald 110) Gatsby refuses to believe that things were never going to go back to the way they were. The author tries to teach that the past has passed and there is nothing you can do about it. Probably the most significant moral of the book is best summed up in the saying, “You never know what people think about you until you’re dead.” “‘I couldn’t get to the house,’ he remarked. ‘Neither could anyone else.’ ‘Go on!’ He started. ‘Why, my God! They used to go to there by the hundreds.’” (Fitzgerald 175) Everybody’s “love” for Gatsby was as superficial and made up as Gatsby was himself. Not even Daisy, the person whom he changed for, went to his funeral. Everybody cared about Gatsby, but as far as they were concerned, it was an unknown James Gatz getting

buried.
Gatsby creates a persona of wealth and success, but failed to lure Daisy into fully believing in it. Gatsby strives to reach an impossible dream. Gatsby changes who he is to win over Daisy, but fails to consider the time and marriage barrier between them. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic failure that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And one fine morning- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Fitzgerald 180)