The Great Gatsby By Scott Fitzgerald Analysis

One may have feelings of love for another person and desire marriage for several reasons. Many works of literature deal with the topic of love and marriage. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one such work. Despite having their similarities and differences, Daisy has good reasons behind choosing to love Tom over Gatsby.

Tom and Gatsby have various similarities. For example, they both have wealth and a desire for financial success. Tom expresses his need for riches by going to Yale University, a wealthy and expensive school, as well as showing off his material goods.

Gatsby, on the other hand, does so by working hard for it after having a humiliating job as a janitor in order to pay off his college tuition. Their main similarity, however, is their love for Daisy. They both use their wealth to win her affection and keep her interested in them, such as when Gatsby takes her on a tour of his mansion.

While Tom and Gatsby do have these similarities, they are also different from each other in their own ways.

Tom and Gatsby are portrayed as having their differences throughout the novel. Firstly, they have acquired their wealth differently. Tom was born into a wealthy family, thus he never had to work for his money and was able to attend Yale University. Gatsby, however, was born into an impoverished family on a farm in North Dakota and had to earn his wealth by contributing to organized crime. Secondly, although they both have a love for Daisy, they do not treat her the same, nor do they desire her for the same reason.

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Tom often expresses a lack of interest in Daisy, as depicted when he has an affair with Myrtle Wilson, and he generally uses her as a way of making himself look good. On the other hand, although Gatsby does care for Daisy, he mainly wants the Daisy of the past. During his mansion tour, he flaunts his wealth in order to gain Daisy’s approval. However, he comes to realize that she is mainly interested in his material goods and that she is not the same person he once knew. This is depicted when she cries after seeing Gatsby’s collection of shirts because she is upset that she does not have as much wealth as Gatsby. Despite Tom’s overall lack of affection and interest towards her, Daisy chooses to remain with him instead of Gatsby.

Daisy has her reasons to stay married to Tom over leaving him for Gatsby. One main reason is because Tom and Daisy are alike and suited for each other. For example, they are both portrayed as self-centered, although they display this differently. Tom uses aggression and physical force to display this, such as when he hurts Daisy’s finger and proceeds to compliment himself for his strength. Daisy can also be portrayed this way, such as when she wonders why Gatsby is leaving to go to war instead of staying with her, although she hides this behind her mysterious personality. Another reason why Daisy stays with Tom is because of the economic and social security. Tom has older money that he inherited from his family, and Daisy stays with him to maintain the status that he has. Gatsby also has riches, although the money is more new than Tom’s. Furthermore, he expects too much out of Daisy. He wants her to be the exact person he knew in the past, and he does not approve of her materialistic self. It is because of these reasons that Daisy chooses to stay married to Tom.

Daisy remains with Tom instead of going with Gatsby for good reasons despite Tom and Gatsby’s similarities and differences. Tom and Gatsby both have a desire for wealth and use their riches to win Daisy over. Tom did not have to work for his wealth and only shows little interest in Daisy to make himself look better, while Gatsby did have to work for his wealth and only cares for who Daisy once was to him. Tom’s status and self-centeredness that is similar to Daisy’s are what allow him to keep her. Whether they are positive or negative, people will always have reasons to marry and be with the ones that they love.