e. Tom begins to downplay Gatsbys concept of himself by making Gatsby realize that he isnt what he made himself out to be. He makes Gatsby see that he does not appear to people in the way that he thinks of himself. Tom describes Gatsby as a bootlegger, cheap swindler and a crook. These few comments shattered Gatsbys self identity because of its fragileness (Way 99).After the argument, Gatsby can feel a minor sense of victory because Daisy refuses to speak to Tom and when they are leaving, Daisy leaves with him. On the way back to the suburbs, Gatsby allows Daisy to drive his car. While driving, Daisy hits and kills Myrtle Wilson, the lady Tom is having an affair with. Gatsby and Daisy keep on driving and they act like nothing ever happened. Later that evening, Nick learned from Gatsby that Daisy had been driving when Myrtle was killed in the hit-and-run accident. Gatsbys love for Daisy causes him to be willing to take the blame if the death was traced back to his car. If Daisys love for Gatsby was based on true love, instead of wealth and material items, then she would have stepped up and confessed to her crime especially since she was riding in Gatsbys car and it could be easily assumed that he was the killer. Daisy was not concerned with the well-being of Gatsby and this is shown when she is back at home conversing with her husband, over chicken and ale, instead of worrying about what might happen to Gatsby. Gatsby, on the other hand, worries that whole night about Daisy. He worries that Tom might beat on Daisy when he gets home. These things never happen but it is the fact that Gatsby was concerned about her well-being and Daisy was not concerned with Gatsbys well being that is important. She is just a shallow person who does not know the meaning of the word love. She is caught up in living the moraless and careless lifestyle that she leads. She could care less for what happens to anyone but herself. This whole s...
