Unfortunate Intentions in The Great Gatsby Analysis

In the year 1595, the play Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare; the play takes place in the 1300s. This is a story of two young people who fall intensely in love but because of outside circumstances befall tragedy. Juliet comes from the Capulet family; Romeo comes from the Montague family--their families were enemies. Though the Capulets and the Montagues disliked each other, it did not stop Romeo and Juliet from falling in love. Yet, in the play Romeo and Juliet, as in every ethical story, a tragedy befalls as both Romeo and Juliet deny their love due to circumstances outside of their control. Several hundred years later, the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the book The Great Gatsby. In the book, three main characters experience tragedy; Daisy Buchanon, Tom Buchanon, and Jay Gatsby, each secretly loves a person but denies that love because of their actions. All three characters tragically do not end up with the one they love. Through their behavior, the characters sabotage their chance at love. The character’s interactions made this a highly compelling story.

Gatsby’s desire is to be with Daisy but love betrays him when the love of his life chooses another man. Gatsby had a strong love for Daisy but Daisy had other priorities in mind; he saw a future with her and had a plan to win her over once he inherited enough money, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). Jordan persuades Nick about Gatsby’s intentions of meeting up with Daisy, “[Gatsby] wants to know….if you’ll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over” (78). Gatsby could not get enough of Daisy, “I’m going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea” (82) he said to Nick. Gatsby’s world revolved around getting back into Daisy’s life; When he would invite her over, she would arrive in the blink of an eye. He purposely bought a substantial house directly across the bay from Daisy and Tom’s house. Gatsby has his friend Nick set up a “chance encounter” to get him back into her life; this made his plan ahead of time. Gatsby announced to Tom, “Your wife doesn't love you,.... She's never loved you. She loves me” (130). Daisy reveals the truth to Gatsby, “I did love him once--but I loved you too” (132). Gatsby just finished putting all his love and affection out to Daisy but she admits to not feeling the same way for him. Gatsby is single-minded and only wants Daisy; he has immensely strong feelings for her and he too thought she felt the same. As time passes, Gatsby realizes how Daisy feels and how love is different. This ended up deteriorating Gatsby's heart that the feelings for each other were not mutual. 

Gatsby was not the only one that made mistakes; Tom and Daisy are flawed and sabotage their chance at love. Daisy was pretending her husband Tom was non-existent, “Who is Tom?” (83) she asked innocently to Gatsby. Daisy was trying on Gatsby’s clothes in relish, “Daisy’s face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile” (85). Daisy was pretending that Tom was nonexistent; she kept leading Gatsby on by being attentive to his requests. This made it as if Daisy and Gatsby were together all along and Tom did not exist; she was always untroubled with Gatsby and regrets not staying with him. Gatsby and Daisy would constantly have fun in his abode; she secretly covets Gatsby and dreams of the day that they can run away together. Tom was jealous of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship, “I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy. By God, I may be old fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me” (103). His jealousy made him more attentive to his wife, “I’m perfectly willing to go to town. Come on-- we’re all going to town” (119). In Tom’s case, he opens his eyes to see that Daisy is a desirable woman and he is eager to win her heart back; he was upset at the idea of Daisy and Gatsby together. Once there was competition, Tom changes for the better and pays attention to his wife Daisy.  Tom and Daisy are not contented in their marriage, but instead of dealing with their problems, they choose to continue on with life, as if nothing has happened with their love. 

The unfortunate result of Tom and Daisy’s behavior is the destruction they leave in their wake. Tom is dating Myrtle Wilson who is also married. Myrtle voiced her opinion, “What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I was [Tom and Daisy] I’d get a divorce and get married to [Tom] right away” (33). Tom was overly attentive to Myrtle when he announced, “Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it” (28). Myrtle believes that Tom will be whisking her away from her husband’s blue-collar business of fixing cars. Tom makes Myrtle believe that he would leave his wife Daisy for her instead; she has an obsession with the fact that Tom is not with her.  Myrtle was infuriated with George, “Throw me down and beat me, you dirty little coward!” (137). Myrtle rested with no heartbeat, “The other car, the one going toward New York, came to rest a hundred yards beyond, and its driver hurried back to where Myrtle Wilson, her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and mingled her thick dark blood with the dust” (137). George, Myrtle’s husband found out about the affair; he decided to lock her upstairs until the next day came so they could move away together. Myrtle was frustrated and rushed into the dusk when she got hit by the “death car”. Myrtle would fight and argue with her husband because she was in love with Tom. Myrtle was trying to acquire the man who was already in love with someone else. 

In the end, love cannot be manipulated. The three main characters try to obtain what they want but end up sabotaging their plans. Gatsby loves Daisy but Daisy is caught up in the lifestyle rather than Gatsby, but he is blind to her true feelings. Tom wants to feel more appreciated and so looks for love outside of his marriage. He lavishes money on his mistress Myrtle and Myrtle mistakenly believes this is true love. Her husband George knows this and tries to get his wife back from Tom but goes about it the wrong way. In the end, Tom and Daisy leave town to start over and leave a trail of destruction behind them. Gatsby who aspired to be part of high society and never fit in ends up alone and dead. Myrtle blindly sprints in front of Tom’s car, not realizing that Tom was not in the car. Daisy runs over Myrtle killing her. Actions and decisions have consequences; each character sabotages their chances with love.