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The Great Gatsby Criticism 2011
Review of the book the great gatsby
The great gatsby critical evaluation
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In chapter seven, Myrtle had “her life violently extinguished” by Daisy and Gatsby, who had hit her with their car (Fitzgerald 145). Myrtle thought it was Tom in the car, but the “yellow car” he was driving earlier wasn’t his (Fitzgerald 148). This is significant because George, who seems to be the most honest and hardworking character, has lost it all because of Tom’s affair. This supports how The Great Gatsby is criticizing the social structure of the 1920s because the rich are stepping on the poor, and the poor are working hard with little or no reward. After Daisy hits Myrtle with the car, Gatsby tells Nick that he will “say I was” driving (Fitzgerald 151). This is significant because even after Daisy had admitted that she once loved Tom
Same Goal, Different Route in The Great Gatsby A more thorough investigation of The Great Gatsby is necessary to uncover a well-disguised theme by Fitzgerald in this work. Upon a simple read through one would probably not notice the great similarities of Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson, but the two characters seemed to have the same agenda for their lives. While Gatsby took the route of acquiring money at all costs to join the upper class of society and to be acceptable in the eyes of a woman, Myrtle chose to make her way up in society at the cost of her marriage by attaching herself to money. The underlying question is who had the most success. As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to
On the night Myrtle was killed, Gatsby revealed to Nick that Daisy was behind the wheel, “yes he said after a moment, but of course I’ll say I was” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 143). Without hesitation, Gatsby took the initiative to take blame for what occurred and flee the scene of the accident with Daisy. If Gatsby would have stayed or returned to the scene and let Daisy deal with her legal responsibilities, George would not have had the chance to be misled and seek
The roaring twenties was a time of fame and glamor, where the rich got richer, and the rules of society were changed. New exposure to fame and riches made people change the way they act, displaying more greedy, and less truthful behaviors. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald multiple behaviors are exhibited but the trait of loyalty shows the connection of characters, such as Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, lastly the connection between Myrtle Wilson and George B. Wilson.
Tom knew that Myrtle was going to be at the shop and he knew she would see Miss Baker, mistaking her for his wife. This is why he didn’t take Daisy in his car, he did not want anyone to actually see Daisy so that when she planned to hit Myrtle with the car nobody would know who she was. After they had got gas, they met up with Daisy and Gatsby at the Plaza hotel. This is when Tom called out Gatsby for his affair with his wife and let out all of his secrets. Even after finding out everything, Tom still had confidence that Daisy was going to stay with him allowing her and Gatsby ride back home together, “You two start on home, Daisy, in Mr. Gatsby's car… Go on. He won’t annoy you. I think he realizes that his presumptuous little flirtation is over,” (Fitzgerald 141). Gatsby had allowed Daisy to drive his car, “.. but of course I’ll say I was , when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive… It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were
There lies a child within every human being. No matter how small, some sense of freedom and hope tends to endure in adults, as they once experienced youth. While Tom, Daisy and Jordan exhibit how they share this feeling in the novel, this youthful instinct most evidently appears in the behaviors of Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson. Because they never learn how to survive in the real, adult world, their uncontrollable attitudes catalyze their early deaths. In F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson and Jay Gatsby represent childlike desire and the corruption of maturity in the 1920s. Their deaths signify the actuality that childhood terminates, exposing the inevitable reality of adulthood.
Throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald conveys how there are many sides to social class and the explosion of the workers just how myrtle is an example of exposure of the working class and the valley of ashes the plight of the poor. This shows the real America and how there's no “dream”. Through the description of the valley of ashes which represent the social class Fitzgerald conveys the plight of the poor.
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a minor character to develop the theme that based on a character’s relations with others, they can have a different outcome. As the reader knows about Tom Buchanan’s affair with Myrtle Wilson, Myrtle was asked if she had any right to mention Daisy’s name, which she didn’t know was the wife of Tom: “ ‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Dai-’ Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (37). By this quote, it is quite vivid to see that Tom, is quick to anger, as they were discussing. However, Myrtle, on the other hand, still continues this relationship with Tom Buchanan even though she was the victim to his temper. As their affair continues through the chapters, Tom, Nick, and Jordan stops by a garage owned by George Wilson, as Tom and Mr. Wilson were talking, Myrtle was upstairs peering down from her window: “but on Myrtle Wilson’s face it seemed purposeless and inexplicable until I realized that her eyes, wide with jealous terror- -on Jordan Baker, whom she took to be his wife” (125).
Myrtle feels dissatisfied with her husband who truly love her. She feels chained by the fact that her husband belongs to the working class like her, and cannot afford what she desires and needs to fulfill her American Dream. Even though she knows that Tom is already married to Daisy, she believes that he will one day marry her and be able to move her up the social ladder. Through Myrtle’s inability to realize the real happiness, receiving her husband’s love, Fitzgerald is criticizing the Americans of that period who were blinded by the eagerness for more money. Lastly, Fitzgerald uses the tragic ending of Myrtle’s life in the novel to demonstrate the how he views the American Dream as dead. She presents the corrupt American dreamers who realize that the dream never within people’s reach. Using Myrtle’s death, Fitzgerald sends the message that the desire for more material possession as a way of feeling happiness only brings nothing but the death of the American dream. One critic analyses Gatsby’s car as a “symbol of death, of a tarnished dream”, which leads not only Myrtle but also Wilson and Gatsby “to the grave” (Seiters
Some people have two sides to what The Great Gatsby about relationships. Some people think there is romance and others think there is negative relationships. The Great Gatsby looks at a cynical look at society towards relationships.
The book shows character such as Gatsby, the Buchanan 's, and Jordan Baker that are on the upper-class economic scale, then there are characters like Nick Carraway who are more middle class, and then there are characters like Myrtle and George Wilson who are the lower class on the economic spectrum. These characters are all intertwined together throughout the book however to show the varying economic stances and viewpoints in the 1920s. As stated previously, the book is like life to the stereotypical 1920s upper-class social elite class. And it shows throughout the book, not only at the lavish Gatsby parties but throughout a majority of the book through dialogue and most every scene in the book. This helps to show the lifestyles that are represented in the book to show the judgments about social and personal relationships between the characters. For example, the characters are always gossiping about another main character or some other minor character. This shows the typical wealthy social elite gossipping lifestyle. And along with that thought, because of the wealthy lifestyle that is portrayed throughout the book it also promotes the wealthy social elite lifestyle as well. A lifestyle that promotes partying, dancing, drinking, and smoking. And with this shown lifestyle we, as readers also see the consequences of these actions. Such as the death of
Gatsby’s urges for triumphs and opulence sprouts from a young age, as in the past, Gatsby was “Resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, the yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world” (Fitzgerald 106). Learning that the only way for a happy life is through securing physical treasures, he forcefully pushes himself to obtain these through achievements - doing anything he can to ensure victory. Gatsby’s form of materialism is the obtainment of wealth. On the other hand, Mr. Wilson’s configuration of desire is through the preservation of his and Myrtle’s marriage - despite the failing properties it retains on Myrtle’s behalf. Delusionally, Mr. Wilson fails to realize the deterioration of the marriage, and despite his low income, continues to care and nurture his wife. Whilst speaking with Tom, Mr. Wilson states that “I need money pretty bad, and I was wondering what you were going to with your old car … My wife and I want to get away” (Fitzgerald 130). This illustrates that although his budget is extremely tight, that he still supports and yearns to conserve his unification with Myrtle. Myrtle,
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is about the rise, the promise and the failure of American Dream. Some minor characters such as George and Myrtle Wilson have contributed to the development of the novel by providing us a contrast of their society that they are living in to the richer society in Long Island as well as a contrast of ideas in terms of modern American Dream.
Themes of violence and carelessness are found throughout the text of The Great Gatsby. A violent act is portrayed in every chapter of the novel but one; often, the episodes are the products of passion, but they are also frequently due to carelessness. Myrtle Wilson’s tragic death perfectly embodies the sort of negligence, passion, and power that hangs about calamity throughout the novel. The driver, Daisy, appears suddenly, kills Myrtle, and leaves suddenly, without taking responsibility for damage done. "The ‘death car,’ as the newspapers called it, didn’t stop; it came out of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment and then disappeared around the next bend" (Fitzgerald 144). The accident that killed Myrtle Wilson was a senseless and reckless act- the result of frayed nerves and a distracted mind. Daisy did not watch out- nor did she stop, investigate, or try to explain herself. The fact that her confession could have saved Gatsby’s life is infuriating and typical of the character. This idea of carelessness seems common to women within the novel; Jordan Baker is another classic example of violence by negligence. She is breezy, carefree, and completely irresponsible, a striking impression made crystal clear in every situation, most notably when discussing her driving. When Nick scolds that she is a rotten driver, and that she should be careful, her blithe excuse for her negligence is that, "Well, other people are" (Fitzgerald 63). This flippant answer is an accurate glimpse into Jordan’s nature. Jordan Baker’s reckless abandon is just one example of the careless natures that contribute to violence within the novel. This thread of irresponsibility permeates throughout the novel. Tom and Daisy themselves are, in the end, deemed to be careless and dangerous. As Nick says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…" (Fitzgerald 188).
At first glance, The Great Gatsby is merely a classic American tragedy, portraying the story of a man's obsession with a fantasy, and his resulting downfall. However, Fitzgerald seems to weave much more than that into the intricate web of emotional interactions he creates for the reader. One interesting element is the concepts of greatness each has. For Daisy, it lies in material wealth, and in the comfort and security associated with it. Daisy seems to be easily impressed by material success, as when she is touring Gatsby's mansion and seems deeply moved by his collection of fine, tailored shirts. It would seem that Tom's relative wealth, also, had at one time impressed her enough to win her in marriage. In contrast to that, Gatsby seems to not care a bit about money itself, but rather only about the possibility that it can win over Daisy. In fact, Gatsby's extreme generosity gives the reader the impression that Gatsby would otherwise have never even worked at attaining wealth had it not been for Daisy. For Gatsby, the only thing of real importance was his pursuit of Daisy. It would seem that these elements are combined, too in the character Myrtle.
...Daisy ends up running over Myrtle, Gatsby feels obliged to take the blame to protect Daisy. To preserve the American Dream, to preserve what he fought for. He is eventually killed for this action by George, Myrtle’s husband.