"All people, no matter your stage of life, can relate to hope, longing and heartbreak, because that is what keeps life interesting."
-Miss N
When I first read The Great Gatsby, I found that I simultaneously hated and related to every character sans Tom. I mean, only terrible people relate to Tom. Kidding. Kind of. Anyway, each character shows us the worst of themselves throughout this novel, but I don't know if they show up by their own choice. Each character is drawn towards love, whether that be a platonic or romantic kind of love, and each character is left wanting rather than being wanted. Everyone can relate to the idea of all forms of relationships ending in heartbreak. Someone once told me that friendships and relationships falter when there is dissension between reality and expectation. I have found that to be very true. When there is conflict in a relationship, I have to double check my expectations. I think we are often too hasty to expect too much from friendships and relationships. We are taught, by society and media, that the ultimate goal is to have one person who is our everything in life. When we meet someone new, we have a tendency to expect the world from that new relationship. We expect that they will be there for us every time we need them. We expect that they will never leave, or that the connection that occurs when we first meet them, and everything is new, will still be there in a few weeks, months, or even years. No one ever warns you about the changes that life throws at friendships and relationships; we don't expect them. Gatsby had incredibly high expectations of Daisy and was not prepared to deal with the fact that time had changed her. Nick began to have expectations surrounding his friendship with Gatsby, and was unprepared when Gatsby no longer needed him. Tom expected Daisy and Myrtle to continue to coexist and was unprepared when they both began making decisions without him. This story reminded me that, when there is conflict, those involved must take stock of their expectations and their actions. The solution will most likely be that one person needs to lower or alter their expectations and the other needs to alter their actions. It is often best to meet in the middle.