Repeating the past in The Great Gatsby

When Nick tells him that he "can't repeat the past" he says "Of course you can". Unfortunately for him it's not that simple. His eventual downfall occurs because he cannot accept the fact that Daisy's present relationship will be a part of any future relationship they might have. The first time Daisy's present life with Tom enters into their relationship is when Gatsby meets their daughter. She serves as a physical reminder of their relationship. Nick tells us that he didn't think Gatsby had believed their daughter existed until he saw her himself. It is made worse for Gatsby because Daisy obviously loves her daughter. Gatsby realizes that this little girl would never go away and any life he now had with Daisy would include this new element. Even after Gatsby has seen Tom and Daisy's daughter he continues trying to deny the present.

Just as Daisy can't leave the present and return to her past life with Gatsby she can't forget her past and live her present life with Tom. Even after five years his name still strikes an emotional chord with her. Her present relationship with Tom is only a thin covering over her past with Gatsby. When Gatsby and Nick go to the Buchanans' Daisy's behaviour tells Tom what has passed between Gatsby and his wife in the past.

The last line of the book plays an important part in our understanding of the dual nature of the past. Throughout the book it is clear that Fitzgerald is telling us that you can't return to the past. This desire to have things how they were is what brings about Gatsby's downfall. However, the last line of the book tells us that "we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past". At first glance this seems to contradict the lesson of Gatsby's story. But with a closer look we see that Fitzgerald is telling us you can't return to or escape from the past. The present and the past become inexorably mingled.