What Is Wrong In The Great Gatsby
Bernie Sanders, a politician, once said, ¨for many, the American Dream has become a nightmare¨. The American Dream was coming true for many in the 1920s, shortly after World War I, and was caused mainly by the country being in an economic boom. The “Jazz Age” was a time when practically everyone believed if they worked hard enough, they would become successful, which at the time meant rich and of high status. Although, this was very flawed and the truth was that being happy was unachievable because they were constantly unsatisfied with their achievements, no matter how successful they truly were. Francis Scott Fitzgerald criticizes the reality of the American Dream in his novel The Great Gatsby. This story is follows the rich Nick Carraway
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and his life in New York during the 1920s. Jay Gatsby, his even wealthier neighbor, has worked his entire life to get enough money to be with Nick’s cousin, Daisy, despite her being married to Tom Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan is a self-absorbed, vacuous socialite whose decisions lead to the destruction of both Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson. Throughout the novel, the readers see that Daisy doesn't really care about Gatsby, only about the wealth that he had gotten for her by organized crime. When visiting his home, in the less fashionable West Egg, after meeting him for the first time in many years from when they were together, she says that “‘they're such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the think folds. ‘It makes me sad because I've never seen such – such beautiful shirts before’” (Fitzgerald 118). Here, it is shown how materialistic Daisy is. She is so overwhelmed by how much money he has, as seen in his gigantic mansion and fancy imported shirts, that she cries. Later, on a sweltering day in Daisy and Tom’s slightly less enormous mansion in East Egg, where the old money lives, Daisy tells Jay Gatsby “‘you always look so cool,’ she repeated. She had told him that she loved him,” (Fitzgerald 79). In other words, Daisy believes that he is perfect, although she cant even directly say it sincerely. Her inability to actually say that she loves him shows she is unable to commit to him because she need to be with Tom for his old money, or long history of wealth and status, that Gatsby can never have. Camrynn Tanner describes the tragic events near the end of the novel as being that “Daisy kills Myrtle; something Gatsby later, unwillingly, takes responsibility for,” (Tanner). Tanner’s point is that Daisy convinces Gatsby to take the blame for her mistake. It would be much more honest and ultimately safe if she had been responsible for her actions but instead, she puts Gatsby in danger to save herself. Once Myrtle’s husband, George, gets revenge on Gatsby after Tom told him it was his fault, Tanner also describes that she chooses in “staying with [Tom] and leaving Gatsby to die” (Tanner) by not attending his funeral and going off to Europe with Tom. Once he is dead and is no financial use to her, she abandons him without needing to grieve. Also, she never admits to being the true killer of Myrtle and lets him die in vain. Jay would have never been murdered if Daisy loved him enough to not make him cover for her killing of Myrtle Wilson. Another way Daisy shows how she is a vacuous socialite is by staying with her awful, racist and abusive husband, Tom Buchanan.
Camrynn Tanner describes Daisy as “using Gatsby for her own enjoyment, she ends up going back to Tom,” (Tanner). Basically, Tanner believes that Daisy never had any true intentions for commitment to Gatsby. Instead, she just wanted to use him to get back at Tom, who had cheated on her with Myrtle Wilson. When Nick sees Tom and Daisy after they did not attend Gatsby’s funeral, Nick says “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money,” (Fitzgerald 137). This shows that Tom and Daisy both had no empathy for other people as long as they could continue living in their leisurely, wealthy lives. Nick also says that they “let other people clean up the mess they had made,” (Fitzgerald 137). This refers to them both showing no sympathy for Gatsby’s heartbreaking end and Daisy persuading to take the fall for her killing Myrtle. Tom and Daisy are both terrible people whose only goal is to get more money and status. They stay together because they are meant together by sharing the same low standards of what is acceptable when treating
others
Last but not least, Daisy’s choices are only motivated by getting more wealth and attention for herself. According to Camrynn Tanner, Gatsby, “ made a name for himself all for Daisy. And what does she do? Lures him along until she's taken every last thing from him and then throws him away,” (Tanner). Tanner’s point is that Daisy never recognizes how hard Gatsby has worked for her. Since she is part of the old money and has never had to work for her luxurious lifestyle she doesn't see Gatsby as anything else but something to manipulate. According to Katey Racine, Daisy “plays with their hearts and leads each man into thinking he’s the one— yet she has no intention of following through,” (Racine). Racine is insisting that she puts up an illusion to Gatsby by saying that she'd run away with him and then breaks his heart without hesitation. Daisy never pins down her true affection so she can be pathologically selfish. Katey Racine further explains this by stating that Daisy’s “as shallow as a puddle” (Racine). This shows that she only cares about herself. Although she knows that Gatsby truly loves her, she only uses him for her personal gain. In the book, Gatsby says that “her voice is full of money,” (Fitzgerald 120). Here, Gatsby brings to light of how she draws men in to get them to listen to her. Showing off her wealth is the only thing she has, and she uses it quite frequently to get what she wants. Additionally, after giving birth to her daughter, she says “ I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 118). This reveals the social environment that Daisy is in. She recognizes that being simple and beautiful is how to noticed by others in her aristocratic society where intelligence is not valued. Although, she does not try to go against or change it, and passes it onto the next generation, continuing the cycle of golden girls. Daisy’s actions show that all she wants is herself to be recognized as being rich and high class.
Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson’s deaths are the results of Daisy Buchanan's self absorbed and vacuous socialite personality. Daisy’s character is based on Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda Sayre, who both represent the ideal American Dream. Although Daisy did not work hard to get the life she had. Instead, she inherited her wealth by her established, upper-class family. The social trends of the 1920s were greed and low moral values. Money and pleasure was the only goals people had to work for, if they even worked at all. Originally, the American Dream was created to give hope to people but ultimately, it was ruined by people who did not work for it.
and his life in New York during the 1920s. Jay Gatsby, his even wealthier neighbor, has worked his entire life to get enough money to be with Nick’s cousin, Daisy, despite her being married to Tom Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan is a self-absorbed, vacuous socialite whose decisions lead to the destruction of both Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson. Throughout the novel, the readers see that Daisy doesn't really care about Gatsby, only about the wealth that he had gotten for her by organized crime. When visiting his home, in the less fashionable West Egg, after meeting him for the first time in many years from when they were together, she says that “‘they're such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the think folds. ‘It makes me sad because I've never seen such – such beautiful shirts before’” (Fitzgerald 118). Here, it is shown how materialistic Daisy is. She is so overwhelmed by how much money he has, as seen in his gigantic mansion and fancy imported shirts, that she cries. Later, on a sweltering day in Daisy and Tom’s slightly less enormous mansion in East Egg, where the old money lives, Daisy tells Jay Gatsby “‘you always look so cool,’ she repeated. She had told him that she loved him,” (Fitzgerald 79). In other words, Daisy believes that he is perfect, although she cant even directly say it sincerely. Her inability to actually say that she loves him shows she is unable to commit to him because she need to be with Tom for his old money, or long history of wealth and status, that Gatsby can never have. Camrynn Tanner describes the tragic events near the end of the novel as being that “Daisy kills Myrtle; something Gatsby later, unwillingly, takes responsibility for,” (Tanner). Tanner’s point is that Daisy convinces Gatsby to take the blame for her mistake. It would be much more honest and ultimately safe if she had been responsible for her actions but instead, she puts Gatsby in danger to save herself. Once Myrtle’s husband, George, gets revenge on Gatsby after Tom told him it was his fault, Tanner also describes that she chooses in “staying with [Tom] and leaving Gatsby to die” (Tanner) by not attending his funeral and going off to Europe with Tom. Once he is dead and is no financial use to her, she abandons him without needing to grieve. Also, she never admits to being the true killer of Myrtle and lets him die in vain. Jay would have never been murdered if Daisy loved him enough to not make him cover for her killing of Myrtle Wilson. Another way Daisy shows how she is a vacuous socialite is by staying with her awful, racist and abusive husband, Tom Buchanan.
Camrynn Tanner describes Daisy as “using Gatsby for her own enjoyment, she ends up going back to Tom,” (Tanner). Basically, Tanner believes that Daisy never had any true intentions for commitment to Gatsby. Instead, she just wanted to use him to get back at Tom, who had cheated on her with Myrtle Wilson. When Nick sees Tom and Daisy after they did not attend Gatsby’s funeral, Nick says “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money,” (Fitzgerald 137). This shows that Tom and Daisy both had no empathy for other people as long as they could continue living in their leisurely, wealthy lives. Nick also says that they “let other people clean up the mess they had made,” (Fitzgerald 137). This refers to them both showing no sympathy for Gatsby’s heartbreaking end and Daisy persuading to take the fall for her killing Myrtle. Tom and Daisy are both terrible people whose only goal is to get more money and status. They stay together because they are meant together by sharing the same low standards of what is acceptable when treating
others
Last but not least, Daisy’s choices are only motivated by getting more wealth and attention for herself. According to Camrynn Tanner, Gatsby, “ made a name for himself all for Daisy. And what does she do? Lures him along until she's taken every last thing from him and then throws him away,” (Tanner). Tanner’s point is that Daisy never recognizes how hard Gatsby has worked for her. Since she is part of the old money and has never had to work for her luxurious lifestyle she doesn't see Gatsby as anything else but something to manipulate. According to Katey Racine, Daisy “plays with their hearts and leads each man into thinking he’s the one— yet she has no intention of following through,” (Racine). Racine is insisting that she puts up an illusion to Gatsby by saying that she'd run away with him and then breaks his heart without hesitation. Daisy never pins down her true affection so she can be pathologically selfish. Katey Racine further explains this by stating that Daisy’s “as shallow as a puddle” (Racine). This shows that she only cares about herself. Although she knows that Gatsby truly loves her, she only uses him for her personal gain. In the book, Gatsby says that “her voice is full of money,” (Fitzgerald 120). Here, Gatsby brings to light of how she draws men in to get them to listen to her. Showing off her wealth is the only thing she has, and she uses it quite frequently to get what she wants. Additionally, after giving birth to her daughter, she says “ I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 118). This reveals the social environment that Daisy is in. She recognizes that being simple and beautiful is how to noticed by others in her aristocratic society where intelligence is not valued. Although, she does not try to go against or change it, and passes it onto the next generation, continuing the cycle of golden girls. Daisy’s actions show that all she wants is herself to be recognized as being rich and high class.
Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson’s deaths are the results of Daisy Buchanan's self absorbed and vacuous socialite personality. Daisy’s character is based on Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda Sayre, who both represent the ideal American Dream. Although Daisy did not work hard to get the life she had. Instead, she inherited her wealth by her established, upper-class family. The social trends of the 1920s were greed and low moral values. Money and pleasure was the only goals people had to work for, if they even worked at all. Originally, the American Dream was created to give hope to people but ultimately, it was ruined by people who did not work for it.