When, after almost five years,
Gatsby is reunited with Daisy, the narrator speculates that she may not live
up to the "idea" of her that he has been carrying around in his head: "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams" (95). Which of the following two figures is Gatsby more deeply in love with: the real but imperfect Daisy whom he finally reunites with, or the imaginary
"idea of Daisy that he has built up in his mind? Might Gatsby need to keep the real Daisy at a distance in order to preserve his idea of her? Does some part of Gatsby seek to preserve the elusiveness of his love object? Why is he ultimately unable to win her back? Finally, what might Fitzgerald's novel be able to teach readers about the nature of desire, longing, or aspir. n? Is there something about desire that exceeds the object's capacity to satisfy it?
10 pieces of evidence