The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
With chapter eight, Fitzgerald delves deep into the heart of an emotional, reminiscent, and despondent Gatsby. Nick recalls Gatsby's narration of how he first met Daisy and why he fell in love with her. I found Gatsby's reasoning for attraction to Daisy paralleling my own thinking in pursuing women. Gatsby loved Daisy because she possessed a uniqueness about her that made her exciting, interesting, and enjoyable to associate with. For Gatsby, "she was the first 'nice' girl he had ever known" (Fitzgerald 148). When Fitzgerald writes about Daisy's nicety, I believe he refers to her kindness, warm disposition, caring nature, and good-hearted personality. To find a woman with these characteristics AND that can carry on tantalizing conversations, which Daisy did with Gatsby, was not only considered rare in Gatsby's time, but today as well. Recognizing these qualities in Daisy and seeing their value, Gatsby earned my admiration and respect, but then secured it when he recounted to Nick my favorite scene in the novel. He described the scene as a cold, fall day during which "he sat with Daisy in his arms for a long, silent time" and, in that silence, felt more love and "communicated more profoundly" with Daisy than he had ever before (Fitzgerald 150). I want that. I have always wanted that and I understand the unique feeling of happiness that Gatsby drew from that experience. Nothing quite matches the warm, calming sensation of holding someone closely in a comfortable silence. Nick may have disapproved of Gatsby at times, but I applaud him. Win Daisy back, Jay.
nice
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