What Is Daisy's Obsession In The Great Gatsby

In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, what Jay Gatsby feels for Daisy Buchanan is obsession. Gatsby revolves and rearranges his entire life in order to gain her affections. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy resulted in him buying a mansion across the lake from her, throwing huge parties, and spending years of his life trying to become rich.

Gatsby bought mansion intentionally across the lake from Daisy just to be closer to her. When Nick Carraway marvels on how coincidental it is that Gatsby and Daisy are neighbours, Jordan Baker rebukes it stating that, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.” (4.76) Gatsby bought a house in West Egg near East Egg where Daisy lives, rather than next-door to

Nick would watch as, “On weekends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight…” (3.41) Gatsby became famous around New York because he threw elaborate parties every weekend at his mansion. Dozens of people attended Gatsby’s parties even when they weren’t invited, causing an influx of guests making him a popular host. ONce every two weeks, “...buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams...gins and liquors...a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos…”(3.41-42) Gatsby’s parties are unbelievably luxurious in preparation for Daisy’s appearance. In reality, Daisy never went to any of Gatsby’s parties, and when she does attend one, she doesn’t enjoy herself. When Nick arrives at Gatsby’s party, he tries to find him, “...but the two or three people of whom I asked his whereabouts stared at me in such an amazed way, and denied so vehemently any knowledge of his movements…” (3.43) Gatsby sits apart from the crowd waiting for Daisy to appear. Gatsby doesn’t care to be seen. All he cared about was enticing Daisy to come to his parties, but she never came. When admiring his mansion with Daisy, Gatsby remarks that it took him three years to earn the money that bought it, one of the many lies he told about his life and how he acquired

During his youth as a poor farmer, “The arrangement lasted five years...Dan Cody inhospitably died…” (6.97) Gatsby worked on a boat for a couple of years for Dan Cody, a wealthy copper mogul. When Cody died, he left Gatsby $25,000, but Cody’s mistress prevented him from claiming his inheritance. Gatsby then dedicated himself to becoming a wealthy and successful and successful man. Tom, in a state of panic over slowly losing Daisy to Gatsby, tells Gatsby, “I found out what your ‘drug-stores’ were...He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong.” (7.127) Gatsby earned his fortune through the illegal sale and distribution of liquor. Rumors of Gatsby’s being a bootlegger circulated with partygoers in chapter four while indications that Gatsby may be involved in criminal activity are suggested in chapter five. A while after Gatsby’s death, a man named Slagle called saying, “Young Parke’s in trouble...They picked him up when he handed the bonds over the counter. They got a circular from New York giving ‘em the numbers just five minutes before. What d’you know about that, hey? You never can tell in these hick towns…” (9.158) Gatsby is a kingpin of a scam to sell worthless bonds in small towns. Slagle was