Apprehensive of his future, Gatsby’s perspicacity and mental health takes a toll as his judgment becomes increasingly clouded, propelling him to make imprudent decisions. The uncertainty of revisiting his past as characterized by Daisy Buchanan’s reluctance to involve herself in his life amalgamated with his intrinsic self’s rejection of his current lifestyle shoehorns a void in his psyche; moreover, it is this void that shrouds his thought, blanketing his rational thought process. An instance of irrationality that stems from his quixotism can be observed when he hosts his lavish parties in an attempt to impress Daisy by displaying his grandeur and opulence. Blinded by his idealistic pursuit of a woman that he had not seen in nearly five years, Gatsby disregards …show more content…
Another significant case of irrationality that exists in the novel can be observed when Gatsby blurts the revelation that it was Daisy who was driving the car that struck and killed Myrtle Wilson. In a desperate attempt to protect Daisy, he believes that it is incumbent upon him to take the blame for her actions. As aforementioned, Gatsby vicariously lives in his past through Daisy, hence, one can deduce that Gatsby wishes to protect Daisy from the law in order to preserve the only vision of his past. The fact that he yearns his past to such an extent indicates that Gatsby is subconsciously aware of his deteriorating character and his intrinsic desire to revert to his “true” self. Moreover, Gatsby fails to realize that by protecting Daisy, he is only distancing himself away from her – the potential legal ramifications he would have encountered for both the crimes of manslaughter and escaping the crime scene would have only barred himself from her, thus distancing himself from his