This drives home that Gatsby's obsession is what solidifies his fate, as nothing but death itself extinguishes his obsession . Had he survived the bullet Gatby would have most likely worked even harder to get Daisy's attention, and never really accept that whatever they had, had long faded since the war. The only thing Gatby was fighting for was the affection and acceptance of Daisy, facilitating his obsession even further as he had nothing else to fall back on. This aspect of Gatsby's character is embedded in him since childhood and so until he achieved what he wanted he would most likely never stop obsessing over it, due to his inability to accept the effects of time, and his obsession with an impossible dream.