Why doesn’t Daisy choose Gatsby?

[Anonymous]

The most famous (well, at least according to my 11th grade English teacher) line in the whole book is “You loved me *too*?”, said by Gatsby in response to Daisy. The *too* is italicized, and I remember the teacher saying that it’s probably the most important italicized word in American literature. She was of course the great love of his life, and he… wasn’t for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh having to analyze every inch of that book in high school made me hate it.

"What does the green light represent?"

WHO CARES?

We had to analyze the cover (for those who don’t know, the cover was done before the book was completed, and Fitzgerald actually went back and updated/rewrote some parts to better match the cover). If I recall correctly, there are tears and one looks like a green light. The importance of the green light was definitely drilled into us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I feel like I'm writing someone's 11th grade English essay for them right now lol

It's still interesting somehow! Today, Daisy WOULD leave Tom for Jay. She would know the courts would protect her parental rights. And Jay's social capital would be just as good as Tom's old money society. She would be on the cover of Vogue, and start a fashion line. No losses for her. But we still wouldn't know who she really loves!

That would be an amazing novel - a retelling of the story in today's world. Nick could be out as gay, Daisy could run off with Gatsby. What else would be different?

Haha, I remember DS was reading First Love by Turgenev in high school. He was so frustrated: what was the point? Why don't Zinaida get married with the father already So many romantic novels would have lost all the drama without the constraint of time.

I mean but seriously! Or with the benefit of one good conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh having to analyze every inch of that book in high school made me hate it.

"What does the green light represent?"

WHO CARES?

Honestly, it is not taught well. I hear this from people who would otherwise appreciate the themes. You can't make a high school kid notice the green light. That is ridiculous.

Really?! Do kids still read Gatsby? I loved that book in high school. It thrilled me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Daisy left her DH, she would no longer be accepted by some of her family and other circles. She would be gossiped about. She would lose social standing. Even if everyone wanted to go to Gatsby's parties, does not mean those same people would not think less of his divorced society wife.

Jay OTOH has everything to gain. So Daisy would have had to really love him. She didn't. She was just having fun.

Yes. It was the 1920s. Divorce would have been scandalous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daisy doesn’t love Tom or Gatsby! She only loves her daughter. She loves to be loved. And she’s a weak, pathetic creature.

+1

Today she would be on Ashley Madison chasing NRE all over the place. lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh having to analyze every inch of that book in high school made me hate it.

"What does the green light represent?"

WHO CARES?

The green light represents hope.

[Anonymous]

I remember analyzing what the eyeglasses ad sign meant. Don't actually remember what they represent.

[Anonymous]

She was merely slumming it with Gatsby back in the day. A proper high caste girl briefly rebelling, nothing more. Low class gangster Gatsby was deluded and desperate for it to be more.

It's like middle class kids who go to an Ivy or even a public U full of rich kids like UVA and party with and even hook up with rich kids. They think they're really "in" with the rich kids. But after graduation those "friendships" almost immediately fade and all the rich kids end up marrying each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember analyzing what the eyeglasses ad sign meant. Don't actually remember what they represent.

God sees all. God sees Tom and Myrtle having affair. God sees Daisy run over Myrtle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was merely slumming it with Gatsby back in the day. A proper high caste girl briefly rebelling, nothing more. Low class gangster Gatsby was deluded and desperate for it to be more.

It's like middle class kids who go to an Ivy or even a public U full of rich kids like UVA and party with and even hook up with rich kids. They think they're really "in" with the rich kids. But after graduation those "friendships" almost immediately fade and all the rich kids end up marrying each other.

Feeling pessimistic this morning, so I will agree with you. Still very hard in US, pretty much anywhere, to pass into upper class society from MC or even UMC.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:In the scene where Daisy changes her mind, Gatsby is acting really unstable and irrational.

Yes, but Tom is also known to have a temper and behaves poorly very frequently.

Yeah but Tom's wealth and power isn't an illusion. He can both keep Daisy or destroy her. He absolutely can keep their child from her.

Gatsby was a mobster during the height of the mafia. He could have made Tom disappear pretty easily.

Gatsby has no real power in the mob at all. That's the post, he's the fall guy and front for the people with actual power.

I think of him as more of a Joe Kennedy. Not in the mob per se, but a lot of power through the mob (and certainly enough to make one random rich guy have an accident)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was merely slumming it with Gatsby back in the day. A proper high caste girl briefly rebelling, nothing more. Low class gangster Gatsby was deluded and desperate for it to be more.

It's like middle class kids who go to an Ivy or even a public U full of rich kids like UVA and party with and even hook up with rich kids. They think they're really "in" with the rich kids. But after graduation those "friendships" almost immediately fade and all the rich kids end up marrying each other.

That's why the smart girls stop taking birth control second semester senior year.

[Anonymous]

Because that would be a crappy book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember analyzing what the eyeglasses ad sign meant. Don't actually remember what they represent.

God sees all. God sees Tom and Myrtle having affair. God sees Daisy run over Myrtle.

Yes, this.