The Great Gatsby: What Does it All Mean?

Do you ever feel like you are out of time? Like it is to late to do something that you really wanted to do? In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald there is a constant allusion to clocks, the passing of time, and feeling that it is to late.
The relevance of time is especially apparent when Gatsby and or Daisy is present in a scene. For example, on the day that Daisy is supposed to come to tea at Nick's house Gatsby is concerned about the time. He tells Nick "Nobody's coming to tea. It's too late"(85)! Gatsby's concern about the time is more than what it appears to be. He is only concerned about the time of day and Daisy appearing to be running late but he is also concerned about it being to late for he and Daisy to reunite. Also, Gatsby is metaphorically trying to stop time. After Daisy arrives for tea Gatsby's "head leaned so far back that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock...luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place"(86). Even though it is not totally obvious this scene is symbolic of Gatsby wishing time to stop. He knocks over the clock because he is so nervous and stressed out about the time that has passed. Lastly, it becomes evident to Gatsby that you can't undo time no matter how much you try to ignore it. When Nick and Gatsby come to Daisy's house that heated day he meets Daisy's daughter Pammy and Nick says "I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before"(117). Gatsby can no longer deny that time has passed, Daisy has a child. You can't ignore a human being, and Gatsby can't undo the last five years of his life without Daisy.
I am able to relate to this because it has been approximately 10 years since I have talked to my biologic father. I was concerned that because it had been so long since I had talked to him that he would have no interest in meeting me. I had friended my older brother on facebook and we have started talking. He has decided that he wants me to spend next summer up in Maine with him and my dad. I decided to write them a letter and send them a picture of me so that they could see how I looked and what has happened since the last time I talked to them. Now my dad has friended me on facebook and has really seen how much time has passed and everything that he has missed.
The passing of time and the appearance of clocks is something that no one thinks to much about. But when you have gone 10 years without talking to your dad in my case or 5 years without seeing the love of your life in The Great Gatsby time becomes a more important aspect in your life.