The Death of Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby

I believe that Jay Gatsby's death in the novel The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald was a product of the character known as Daisy Fay. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy five years prior to his death and did not stop loving her nor did he give up his pursuit of this dream that she portrayed. Daisy represented many things to Gatsby, his hopes, his dreams, and his life. His whole existence was based on the young girl that he left behind five years before.

James Gatz was an average person going no where. He had fallen in love with a young woman and had to go off to war. After many letters and many decorations as an officer, he returned and the woman he loved had married another. James Gatz was determined to win her back. He changed his name to Jay Gatsby, a new person that embodied, not loss, but hope. This entirely different being was more ambitious than the old one. Gatsby was a true romantic, his character formed on the dream of another, a dream that lasted five years in development.

Upon meeting Daisy Fay once again, Gatsby was scared. He did not know what to do or expect, only that he expected Daisy to love him with the same burning passion as he has loved her all these years. After the large amount of time that had passed, Gatsby built a character based on the young girl that he once loved. He expected that Daisy wouldn't have changed, he believed that no time could affect the feelings that he had. He created this whole masquerade to someday impress Daisy. And Daisy, being one who goes where the wind may take her, followed along and played this little game. She didn't realize that this wasn't a game to Gatsby.

With food in hand, Daisy led this starving creature on. Gatsby was too preoccupied with his past and his feeble attempt to relive it to see that Daisy was bringing him to his end. She teased him with her "i love you" and yet he still followed, begging for another. Gatsby followed her to town, wanting her to confess her love and devotion only to him. What he saw at that point in time was the real Daisy, the Daisy that was the player. But he still loved her and he even took the burden of her blame for killing Myrtle Wilson. He would do anything for her, but he did not receive anything in return.

Daisy Fay brought death upon Jay Gatsby. It was her Tom that pointed the finger in jealously, it was her self-centered personality that extinguished his flame of love, it was her finger that pulled the trigger that silenced Jay Gatsby's heart. His heart beat only for her. His whole being was created for her. His self-sacrifice was for her. Yet, she turned her back on this romantic, a person hand made just for her. Fitzgerald said that Tom and Daisy ". . . smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their . . . vast carelessness . . . and let other people clean up the mess they had made . . ." Daisy could do nothing other than destroy Gatsby, but he had no choice, he was made for her.