Thursday, February 23, 2012

How did Gatsby behave prior to meeting with Daisy? What did his choice of clothing indicate about his feelings for her?

Gatsby goes to extreme lengths to manage his reunion with Daisy at Nick's bungalow in West Egg.  Without considering the potential offensiveness of his actions, Gatsby arranges to have Nick's grass cut, sends over "a greenhouse" of flowers for a simple tea party, and even offers Nick a lucrative job for agreeing to provide a place for him to see Daisy again.  That afternoon, Gatsby hovers nervously in Nick's kitchen and parlor, miserably predicting that Daisy won't show up. When she arrives, he slips out the back door.


Once Daisy has settled in, Gatsby knocks at the front door of the bungalow and pretends he is just arriving.  The clothing he has selected for the day of the reunion he has waited five years for is deeply symbolic.  His stylish flannel suit is white, Daisy's signature color.  His shirt is gold and his tie is silver, both emblematic of the precious metals that back American currency.  Gatsby wants Daisy to recognize that he intends to please her and that he has the means to give her all the things that he imagines she wants. 


Fitzgerald, F. Scott.  The Great Gatsby.  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925.

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