Old Feelings, New Situations

In this chapter, the main event was the reuniting between Gatsby and Daisy.  We learned from Jordan that they had a relationship in the past, but why it ended was unclear.  Now, Nick arranged for Daisy to come over his house so Gatsby could see her, Daisy being unaware of this fact.  While this was a sneaky plan, I think it was for the best.  According to Jordan, Daisy changed her mind about marrying Tom on their wedding night after having a few too many to drink and receiving a letter, probably from Gatsby.  It is obvious from this event that Daisy still had strong feelings for Gatsby.  I believe that if people love each other like that, then they should find a way to be together, even if it is almost five years later.  "I certainly am awfully glad to see you again," is the first thing Daisy says when she sees Gatsby at Nick's.  If I were Nick, I would be feeling happy at this point.  I would be happy because two of my friends got to reconnect.  I might also feel a little ashamed because reintroducing someone to their past relationship could result in cheating on their current one.  Fitzgerald might be using this to say things might not always work out the way you think they will.  You could be in love with someone one day and then wind up marrying someone completely different the next.  This situation could also be an example of a Greek myth called The Red String of Fate.  This myth states that gods tie an invisible red string around the little fingers of two people who are soul mates; the string may get twisted, but it can never be broken.  From this point, I am predicting that Daisy and Gatsby will start up their relationship again.  The fact that Tom is cheating on Daisy would only push Daisy further towards cheating on Tom.

Possessions Are Not Everything

The major event in this chapter is when Nick goes over to the East to have dinner with Tom and Daisy.  This takes place throughout chapter one. At first, it seems as though they will be like old friends just catching up, but that is not the feeling I got from the reading.  To me, it seemed more uncomfortable than it should have been.  It seemed more like bragging in a way.  When Nick first arrives, all Tom has to say is, "Now, don't think my opinion on these matters is final just because I'm stronger and more of a man than you are." He seems to be belittling Nick, not something friends do at all.  Tom then goes on with, "I've got a nice place here."  Talking about nothing personal, Tom is just bragging about what he has, probably indicating that Nick gave up a good thing when he moved to the West.  Why he felt the need to do this I am not sure, but if I were him that would be just about the last thing I would have done.  Seeing an old friend for the first time in a while should never be about comparing what you have and what they don't or vice versa. Reconnecting is one of the highlights of not seeing someone for a long time.  You get the chance to catch up with everything that has been going on.  Tom may have done this because of where he is in his life.  He might have everything he could want physically, but not emotionally.  Maybe all of his possessions are a way to make up for what he lacks with people.  A deeper message here could be that no matter how many belongings you have or how rich you are, nothing can replace what personal connection with friends can give you.  You could have everything, yet nothing at all.  I am predicting that Tom will realize that he is not happy with his life, if he has not figured that out already.