Tom and Daisy’s invitation (and attendance) to one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties allows Fitzgerald to truly cement the gulf between Gatsby and Daisy. When Gatsby urges Daisy to “look around” she describes she is having a “marvellous time” yet her speech is interrupted by Gatsby. This is an indication of Gatsby’s nervousness because his usual finesse and polish has been cracked due to the significance he has placed on Daisy coming to one of his luxurious parties. It also reveals Gatsby’s lack of true social grace, despite his obvious monetary gains, we can see his impoverished roots (revealed earlier in the chapter) come to light. Gatsby also urges Daisy to “look around” because he is desperate to show her what he has created and ‘earned’ for her.
The tone in the first paragraph is critical. Nick says: “The thing for Daisy to do is to rush out of the house, child in arms”. We can hear criticism in this phrase because he blames her for not doing it and even not having “such intentions in her head”, but he of course is a bit exaggerating. Nick is also criticizing Daisy’s husband Tom, when saying “he had been depressed by a book”, as if it is nonsense that Tom is reading a book. He is looking down at him and says that he nibbles “at the edge of stale ideas”.
Point in case, when at the Buchenaus house Tom gets a call and Jordan trying to listen claims to nick “Tom’s got some women in New York” (pg. 19). Tom is not truly happy and is trying to find what in his heart is missing. Money can buy many lavishes things to make a person seem to be joyful but it will never bring that person true happiness. Likewise, while in the hotel when Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy are talking Tom states, “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife,” (pg.
Gatsby also tries to show Daisy how rich he is by wearing expensive clothes. And showing off his house. To Gatsby, his money can get him everything, and that includes Daisy. “Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion.
He doesn't feel like he can run to him anytime, he has to feel out his mood and approach carefully. Paddy resents that, and tries to blame the newspaper that his da reads, saying it is what affects his moods. Sinbad likes to pretend everything is fine when it is quiet at night, but he does realize his parents fight. It affects his eating habits and it affects his schoolwork. Paddy comes to protect him instead of bullying him.
Daisy is then forced in the middle, to choose who she loves. Daisy ends up choosing Tom and Gatsby is left feeling hurt because he misjudged Daisy’s feelings for him. People may evaluate others on how much they notice they show affection towards something or someone. It may be on how much or how little love they show. In the book, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, the love of an ambulance driver for a nurse during World War I seems strange.
“Gatsby recognizes a kindred spirit and his lie serves both to test the extent of Nick’s potential complicity with his plan to marry Daisy, and to demonstrate the reality that social transition comes at a price, even in what is supposedly the ‘land of the free’” (Claire Stocks). Gatsby thinks he can do whatever he wants. He has loads of money, and tries to use his money to throw outstanding parties to catch Daisy’s attention. Gatsby can’t relive the past, no matter how much he desires
He is an example of old money, and because he is so wealthy he decides that he can break all the rules and do whatever he pleases, like cheating on his wife. “‘Why -' she said hesitantly, ‘Tom's got some woman in New York. '” (19). Materialism has gotten to Tom's head and he believes just because he has so much wealth he can buy happiness with anything that he pleases. The last character, Gatsby, shows both materialism and spirituality.
Although different, Tom and Gatsby can relate to the same secret affairs that occurs throughout the book. First, probably most importantly, Gatsby and Tom both use other people throughout the book. Gatsby’s initial goal in life was to find Daisy again. However, his problem with such is that he didn’t know anyone that knew Daisy. Gatsby would throw these extravagant parties chalk full of all the celebrities and well known people.
Fitzgerald states all over his novel that through the pursuit of materialism and excess, people become vacuous. This fact is clearly presented by the actions of the characters in the novel, which represent the upper American society. The actions of Tom Buchanan and Gatsby regarding their wealth are a perfect example, they misuse their wealth in order to find love and happiness and also to buy people. Regardless the fact that Tom and Gatsby want to conquer Daisy, and since she is a very money-orientated person, they competed for her showing her how much money they have and how many comforts they will be able to give her if she accepts their proposal of marriage. They didn’t put any effort in showing her their fortitudes as a person, and a reason of this might be that they really might not have any fortitude that can’t be achieved by just having