The Great Gatsby

The houses of Nick and Gatsby share a few parallels and commonalities that help to explain and flesh out their roles in the plot. The houses of Gatsby and Nick are both in West Egg, Long Island. The location of the house is imaginary, though Nick confirms that it is in an affluent neighborhood. Furthermore, the two houses are adjacent to Buchanans who live in the same neighborhood. Nick uses the houses to represent the personalities of the inhabitants. According to Harold and Fitzgerald (pp.150), Nick describes his cottage as a “eye-sore” that was ignored because most people assumed it had been abandoned. The main difference between the houses is the fact that, while Gatsby’s house is a mansion that echoed his wealth, Nick’s house is a simple cottage which equally is a replica of his social status. Nick’s cottage is in the middle of Daisy’s and Gatsby’s which symbolizes the bridge that Nick is the reunion of the two. Both Daisy and Gatsby hold a low regard to Nick’s house as Daisy states that it appears as if it had been abandoned. Gatsby, on the other hand, offers to send his gardener to Nick’s house to cut his grass and as put flowers in Nick’s house (Harold & Fitzgerald pp. 134). Gatsby’s actions were symbolic as he intended to impress Daisy and Nick’s house did not meet his desired qualities of elegance.

“Ain’t we got fun”

Kilpspringer is the name of an antelope that resides in Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa. The writer uses the name symbolically to refer to the nocturnal nature of the character and his treacherous behavior just like the Kilpspringer antelope. In the Great Gatsby according to Fitzgerald & Prigozy (pp.75), the name Klipspringer appears severally in the passage. Just like the many guests that walked in and out of Gatsby’s mansion, Kilpspringer frequented the mansion and was even a border. Gatsby often made use of his availability and took advantage of his piano skills which made him more relevant to Gatsby.

The narrator describes a typical evening in West Egg and the activities that follow. He states that there is a lot of excitement as people stream in from New York which is the nearest capital. The location of West Egg clearly states and confirms the social status of the people. The evening is a time when most rich people come from work and enjoy themselves as evidenced by Gatsby’s parties (Fitzgerald & Prigozy pp.76). The rich get a chance to interact with fellow rich people and get access to more wealth in the process. The poor on the other and end up consoling themselves by getting more children which brings forth another generation that is poverty stricken.

Why Gatsby should pursue Daisy

Jay Gatsby got attracted to and had a brief affair with Daisy when he was an officer in Louisville. However, it is when Nick went to the war that he lost contact with his love. Gatsby later learned that she was married to Tom in West Egg and then he decided to buy the mansion next to her. In Mann & Fitzgerald’s view (pp. 220), Gatsby is obsessed with riches and wealth, but above all, he is trying so hard to impress Daisy at all costs that his lives in a fantasy of their past together. Daisy, on the other hand, is in a marriage that lost its previous thrill and hence she is bored with life.

Gatsby will be making a mistake by pursuing Daisy as a lot had changed since their last meeting. Gatsby’s thoughts of Daisy are the ones that he held before she got married. Gatsby’s thoughts on Daisy are so perfect and overrated that Daisy will not live to his expectations and standpoint in real life. Fitzgerald & Man (pp.200) affirms that additionally, Tom is becoming overly suspicious of Gatsby and Daisy closeness that he began to question Gatsby. The clumsiness that Gatsby had upon meeting Daisy as evidenced by him knocking down Gatsby’s clock is symbolic of his attempt to stop time and relive the past. Even Gatsby in his mindset acknowledges that the time they spent apart has had an effect on Daisy and is afraid to even express his love for her in the first instance.

Happiness in marriage

Daisy is not happy with Tom as their marriage has become dreary over the years. Daisy has since kept up with Tom because they have a family together and acknowledges her devotion to him. Tom has established an extramarital affair, and Daisy is aware of the affair as she follows him to the phone in one occasion when Nick is around. Daisy, however, could be happier with Gatsby as he reserved his love for her over the years despite his wealth. Fitzgerald & Stuart (pp.85) are of the opinion that, Gatsby could get another suitor if he desired but his love for Daisy was so overwhelming that he ignored all the other people and focused only on her.

Marriage is a bond and connection between two individuals who love each other. Although material possessions and social stratification spice up marriages and make them stronger true happiness is the best and most essential ingredient in marriage. Daisy’s husband, for instance, has a lot of wealth but Daisy is still not happy in her marriage (Fitzgerald & Stuart pp.87). Gatsby equally thinks that having attained wealth and a social status will help him get acknowledgment and acceptance from his long lost love Daisy. Tom’s mistress lives in a poor neighborhood but is still unfaithful to her husband who later mistakenly kills Gatsby. It is apparent that although wealth cushions marriages, it is not the necessary ingredient to happiness in marriages.

Works cited

Bloom, Harold. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s the Great Gatsby. New York: Bloom’s Literary Criticism, 2010.

Fitzgerald, F S, and David Mann. The Great Gatsby. Harpenden: Oldcastle Books, 2013. 

Fitzgerald, F S, and Davies D. Stuart. The Great Gatsby & the Diamond As Big As the Ritz. London: Collector’s Library, 2005. 

Fitzgerald, F S, and Ruth Prigozy. The Great Gatsby. , 2008