a game, and racks up male affections without ever giving of herself. She has an on going relationship with Jake Barnes, and she proclaims that she loves him several times. However, due to a war wound he is unable to perform sexually, and Brett uses this as an excuse to hold him at bay. Jake realizes that her affection for him may not be genuine and says, "I suppose she only wanted what she couldn't have." (39) Brett's perception of happiness is based on the notion that she is wanted by men. She takes pains to maintain Jake's interest in her, without a genuine concern for his feelings. She thoughtlessly comes to Jake Barnes time and time again to set her up with other men, and to help her get out of self created adverse situations. Lily Bart claims to need a man to get her out of an adverse financial situation, however, she constantly ruins relationships that would result in a financially sound arrangement for her. One gets the sense that she is holding out for some sort of emotional connection, regardless of what she claims to want. There is one man who engages her mentally and captures her sentiments, however, he does not have the resources needed to maintain Lily's position in society. This man, Selden, is able to open her eyes to the trivialities of the world that she is caught up in:That was his secret way of adjusting her vision. Lily,turning her eyes from him, found herself scanning herlittle world through his retina: it was as though the pinklamps had been shut off and the dusty daylight let in. Shelooked down the long table, studying its occupants oneby one, from Gus Trenor, with his heavy carnivorous headsunk between his shoulders, as he preyed on a jelliedplover, to his wife, at the opposite end of the long bank oforchids, suggestive, with her glaring good-looks, of a jeweler'swindow lit by electricity. and between these two, what a long stretch of vacuity! How dreary and trivial these peoplewere! (P. 70)In spite...
