Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald represents the ruthless reality of life through the depiction of Jay Gatsby's intense love for Daisy Buchanan. Right before Nick leaves New York City, he returns to Gatsby's house and goes out onto the deck for the last time: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay And as I sat there brooding over the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first spotted the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to reach this blue meadow, and his dream must have seemed so close to him that he could hardly help but grasp it. Little did he know that it was already behind him, somewhere in that vast darkness beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic stretched into the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, in the orgastic future that year after year recedes before us. So we missed it, but it doesn't matter - tomorrow we will run faster, we will stretch our arms more... and a beautiful morning. So we row on, boats against the current, brought back ceaselessly into the past (193) This scene not only represents how Gatsby lived his life, but also why his life ended the way it did. Gatsby tried to take his past and make it his present. However, that's not how time works. The words “he didn't know it was already behind him” sum up Gatsby's reality. Since he and Daisy were in love before he left for war, Gatsby thought that she would stop her time to wait for him. Even more, the only reason he bought the house he lived in was because his dock was directly across from the green light, which was at the end of Daisy's dock. Gatsby's "dream" of getting the green light is a metaphor for bringing Daisy back into his life. Even though the green light is across the bay from him, and even though he searches for the light every day, he can never grasp it. Therefore, he will never be able to "bring" Daisy back into his life as he would like. At the beginning of the novel, Daisy tries to tell Gatsby this when she says, “Oh, you want too much… I love you now – isn't that enough? I cannot do without what is past” (141-142). Daisy pleads that even though she still loves Gatsby, she is married to Tom and that won't change. Daisy is trying to disappoint Gatsby easily, as her words "I can't help what is past" indicate that she has enjoyed her past, but that her present and future existence includes being with Tom, not Gatsby. Nonetheless, Gatsby continues to try to win over Daisy. In fact, Daisy's bad driving is what leads to Gatsby's death. Gatsby died trying to recreate his past. The phrase “so we row on, boats against the current” compares humans in boats on the sea to humans and time. Furthermore, it symbolizes Gatsby's position in the world. For the open waters wait for no one, not even time. Gatsby, with all his wealth and knowledge, thought he could break that concept, but nevertheless he couldn't. So while Gatsby tried to recapture his past, the present whizzed past him, leaving him in the dust. Daisy knew it. Nick knew it. Gatsby didn't, and that's why he died.