Meaning of "We passed a barrier of dark trees, and then the facade of Fifty-ninth Street, a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the...

This quote is spoken by Nick Carraway, and he seems to be contrasting his own relationship with Jordan to Tom's and Gatsby's relationships with and romantic notions of Daisy Buchanan.

The main idea seems to be that Nick does not harbor any romantic illusions about Jordan. She is different from Daisy in this scene because she is physical and present. She is real and she is with him; therefore, Nick decides to take advantage of...

This quote is spoken by Nick Carraway, and he seems to be contrasting his own relationship with Jordan to Tom's and Gatsby's relationships with and romantic notions of Daisy Buchanan.

The main idea seems to be that Nick does not harbor any romantic illusions about Jordan. She is different from Daisy in this scene because she is physical and present. She is real and she is with him; therefore, Nick decides to take advantage of these facts and kiss Jordan.

The implication, though, is that what Nick has with Jordan is lesser in some way than what Tom and Gatsby have with Daisy. This is because Nick's action follows his comment that, unlike the other men, he "had no girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark cornices and blinding signs." Daisy is almost more of an idea than a person to both Tom and Gatsby. She stands as a symbol; she is disembodied because she is more like an abstract concept to them than a flesh and blood human being.

To Tom, Daisy is sort of a trophy wife. He can be the powerful man whose masculinity and power are confirmed by Daisy's inferior status. She is also beautiful, which reflects well on himself. For Gatsby, of course, Daisy is the symbol of upward mobility, of achieving what one desires and works for. Gatsby could not be with Daisy when he wasn't a wealthy man, so he spends his adult life trying to become suitable for her. They have no interaction during that time, and he is out of touch with who she is as a person, so she becomes more of a symbol or an idea.

In some ways, it seems like Nick wishes he has what Tom and Gatsby have, but since he doesn't, he must settle for what he does have: Jordan, who is next to him in the scene.