Turn Back Time

As the perfect idealist, Gatsby not only holds high expectations and utopic dreams for his future with Daisy, but his love does not falter when she fails to reach these heights. In his illusion, Daisy would abruptly leave Tom, publically declaring her mistake in marrying the hulking brute of a man whom she does not love. With her husband out of the equation, Gatsby and Daisy would pick up right where they left off, as if their painful time apart never existed. The more time Nick spends with his neighbor, listening to the numerous quixotic fantasies, the more he feels Gatsby has seeded his goals too deeply in the past, making them unattainable. Gatsby displays his unwavering belief in his ability to recreate his former relationship with Daisy by telling Nick, "Can't repeat the past? . . . Why of course you can!" (116). Gatsby expects sacrifices and radical changes from Daisy, like leaving Tom, which she is not quite prepared to undertake.