So just as Tom had declared earlier, he showed up to Gatsby's latest wild party with Daisy, mainly with the intent to cure his suspicion of Gatsby. Nick describes that of all the party's he had attended during the summer, this one stands out in his mind the most for having a peculiar feeling to it. I believe this feeling he had was of nervous anticipation towards Daisy's opinion and of the "peculiar quality of oppressiveness", contributed by Tom's presence (Fitzgerald 104). Its understandable for Nick to have felt such a pressure in hoping that Daisy would enjoy the party. As Fitzgerald says, "It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment" (Fitzgerald 104). What Fitzgerald means is that Nick, now in the presence of someone else's judgmental eyes, is starting to realize the flaws in his once accepted social event. What Nick is going through reminds me of the feeling when you first watch a new, unknown movie by yourself and enjoy it so much that you publicize it to all your friends. However, when watching it again in their presence, you nervously anticipate how they will react while at the same time, cringe at many of the corny or "not so funny" parts that seem some how amplified to a much greater extent than before. Sadly to Nick and Gatsby's dismay, "[Daisy] wasn't having a good time" (Fitzgerald 106).
After the party, Gatsby is greatly distressed at how badly Daisy received the whole event. I believe that Jay Gatsby is starting to find that his envisioned renewed life with Daisy may not be as simple as he previously perceived. Fitzgerald ironically writes, "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: 'I never loved you'. After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken" (Fitzgerald 109). I like the way Fitzgerald writes this so sardonically, making fun of Gatsby's wishful thinking. Just like Gatsby, this statement completely ignores all the other major implications that make his goal a quest for folly. Nick sees this in Gatsby and upon telling him that it is impossible to repeat the past, Gatsby incredulously cries, "Can't repeat the past... Why of course you can!" (Fitzgerald 110). I believe Gatsby's emotions are blinding his practicality and I foresee that this is going to bring him to an untimely end.
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| Can't repeat the past? Doc would prove otherwise... |
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