Persistence, hope, and determination are some of the greatest human traits; but they can also be our downfall. Separately, these traits harbor great potential, but together they can lead to desperation and chasing after unrequited love. Relationships are the greatest example of this, specifically the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. He spent his whole life stumbling after a girl who enticed him with the merest hint of love, yet fell short when it mattered most. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the unwillingness to let go of his feeling for Daisy was the real cause of Gatsby’s death. Gatsby’s denial of the changes between him and Daisy are prevalent but subtle. It’s been years since he and Daisy were courting each other, yet …show more content…
No one could be more perfect to represent this than Jay Gatsby. He was handed evidence that Daisy had moved on, but still turned a blind eye to the truth. “I don’t think she ever loved him.””You must remember, old sport, she was very excited this afternoon. He told her those things in a way that frightened her-that made it look as if I was some kind of cheap sharper. And the result was she hardly knew what she was saying.” Gatsby’s unwillingness to accept that Daisy might have loved Tom is prevalent in this quote. He is almost directly denying that she is no longer utterly devoted to only him. Gatsby does not want to face the fact that she has changed, and they can no longer have the same relationship they once had. This scene happened to take place in between Myrtle’s death and Gatsby’s inevitable death. If Gatsby had come to peace that what once was possible can no longer happen, he might have been able to stop what was coming. Because he still loved and cared for Daisy, Gatsby defended her at his own expense. If he considered that she might love him anymore, Gatsby might have not willingly shoved himself into harm’s way for her. Therefore, he could have saved himself from his own