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One major conflict that takes place within the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the love triangle between Daisy Buchanan, James Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. Daisy is Tom Buchanan’s wife, who was James Gatsby’s long lost love. Before the war, Daisy was courted by a number of officers, including James Gatsby. Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby fell in love in Louisville and she promised to wait for him. However, Daisy harbors a deep need to be loved and when a wealthy, powerful young man named Tom Buchanan asked her to marry him, Daisy decided not to wait for Gatsby after all.
Tom Buchanan has an affair with a woman by the name of Myrtle whom is already married to the owner of a run-down garage in the Valley of Ashes, George Wilson. Myrtle possesses a fierce vitality and desperately looks for a way to improve her situation. Unfortunately for Myrtle, Tom mistreats her and views her as an object of his desire. Meanwhile, as she is treated as a mere object, Daisy is being showered by love and care from the “great” James Gatsby. Gatsby’s only obligation is to have Daisy fall back in love with him. Days go by, and Daisy visits Gatsby at his mansion.
She stays majority of the week, which leads to Gatsby having to fire his workers to prevent rumors from forming. After weeks, Daisy begins to come back to her senses and falls in love. Gatsby hands her a ring, which she cannot wear because of her husband, Tom. Therefore, Gatsby decides to confront Tom about Daisy’s and his affair, as they take a stroll in New York. Upon the end of the confrontation in New York, Daisy becomes indecisive and denies everything Gatsby stated. On their way home, they pass by the run-down garage owned by Myrtle’s husband, inside Tom Buchanan’s car.
Myrtle was not aware that Tom was not driving the care, so she ran outside thinking it was him, and Daisy accidentally ran her over. Myrtle did not survive the fatal hit, and George Wilson was devastated. After a while, Tom Buchanan, Nick Caraway, and Jordan Baker decide to depart home, on their way they notice a large commotion erupted concerning Myrtle’s death. Tom pulls over, steps out, and glances at Myrtle’s cold body, then turns silently towards the car. Once they all arrive home, there is no conversation between anyone, whatsoever.
The next morning, George Wilson recalls neighbors indicating that a large yellow car hit Myrtle, and he automatically assumed it was Tom, who was driving it days prior to the incident. George decided to confront Tom at his home while Daisy was in the other room. After the revelation of “truth”, George departs to Gatsby’s mansion. He finally arrives and spots Gatsby relaxing in his pool, then shoots him several times. After the shots, he shoots himself. However, the two deaths equaled happiness for Daisy and Tom Buchanan. They carried on with life as if nothing ever occurred.
The novel ends with a “if only”, the three could have been happy by the means of an alternative solution. For instance, if Daisy had been a more careful driver, the conclusion of situation could have been a far distance from involving a death. Love is fragile and we’re not always its best caretakers, we just muddle through and do the best we can to hope this fragile thing survives by all odds. However, one’s selfishness and indecisiveness led to innocent deaths of two people who wanted to fulfill their craving for care, comfort, and most importantly???love.