Lois Tyson jumps from character to character to explain the reasoning behind each of their fears of intimacy. In turn, I'd like to point out the reasons why the first three examples (Tom, Daisy and Myrtle) very well might NOT have a fear of intimacy.
First and foremost, Tom. Tyson argues that Toms tendency to have marital affairs is evidence that he wishes not to become close to anyone and that for him women are instead means of social status. In my opinion, this is a baseless assumption. There is in fact no evidence that Tom wants Daisy for social status alone. Sure it's a plus, but if Tom really wanted no emotional attachment whatsoever, why would he have a child with Daisy? A child is massive responsibility, so even though he nor Daisy pays much attention her, Tom must have at one point wanted to be attached to Daisy to want a kid.
Daisy is next, though I think what I said for Tom applies here too. Tyson claims that Daisy loves Tom for his lack of want for emotional attachment, but why then does she want to call of the wedding? Sure, in the end it occurs, but if she only wanted to marry Tom in the first place to repress attachment to Gatsby, there must be a very large part of her that wants attachment if she tried to call it off.
"For Myrtle, Tom Buchanan represents a ticket out of George Wilson's garage." Why then can there be no desire for emotional attachment for Myrtle? Tyson claims that her relationship with George Wilson is evidence of this, but her argument appears flimsy in my view. Yes, she did only marry George because she thought he was higher class, but one can still marry for money and be intimate with that person.
So perhaps Lois Tyson isn't actually correct in her assertion, perhaps the Great Gatsby really is a love story, just one that doesn't work out in the end.
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