Monday, October 19, 2015

In the book, The Great Gatsby, does Daisy have difficulty agreeing to Gatsby's wish? Why or why not?

Gatsby's great wish or dream is that Daisy will run off with him, leaving Tom behind and marrying him, Gatsby. He wants Daisy to say she never loved Tom. He wishes, essentially, to erase the last five years of both their lives and to go back to 1917, when they were in love before the war, as if nothing ever happened. Daisy has a great deal of difficulty agreeing to this wish and ultimately can't...

Gatsby's great wish or dream is that Daisy will run off with him, leaving Tom behind and marrying him, Gatsby. He wants Daisy to say she never loved Tom. He wishes, essentially, to erase the last five years of both their lives and to go back to 1917, when they were in love before the war, as if nothing ever happened. Daisy has a great deal of difficulty agreeing to this wish and ultimately can't do it. She has had a daughter and is settled into her marriage with Tom. She no longer loves Gatsby alone: whatever their problems, she and Tom have a history together now, and she depends on him. On top of that, Daisy is a weak person, who goes whichever way the wind blows. Tom is strong and domineering and he wants her married to him. When push comes to shove, Daisy won't leave him. We see her torn between the two men during their confrontation at the Plaza hotel near the end of the novel, but despite all Gatsby's urgings, Daisy can't agree that she never loved Tom. She can't give Gatsby what he wants, and arguably no woman could. As Daisy wavers in the Plaza, Tom realizes he has won and can safely send Daisy back home in Gatsby's car, setting up the final tragedy. 

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