How Does Fitzgerald Use Cars In The Great Gatsby

602 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cars in the great gatsby symbolism

The Great Gatsby In the great gatsby Fitzgerald uses cars to demonstrate that the rich believe that they are superior and above all the rest. The rich use their money as a way to make their own rules. The people of higher class demonstrate that they can not take responsibility for their actions. They also go through life not caring what they leave behind. They speed through all decision they make not caring if they break hearts or take lives. Fitzgerald uses cars to symbolize the carelessness of the wealthy which ultimately leads to death. Jordans reckless driving is used to highlight the inability for the rich to care about other needs. Nick the main character tells Jordan to slow down and Jordan replies with a “ They’ll keep out of my way (Fitzgerald 53).” With this, it shows the reader that the rich believe they are above the law. They are so infused into their own bubble and own world that forget there is another reality out there. With the attitude, the rich have it eventually leads to disastrous events. Fitzgerald uses cars as a symbol of their superiority and how they are seen as greater than the rest. Cars are vehicles …show more content…

Owls eyes a drunk man from the novel admits to being drunk for days and goes to the library to sober up. When the time comes to leave Owl eyes is involved in an accident. When a man from the crowd asks “how did it happen?...[Owl eyes responded saying] don’t ask me... washing his hands of the whole matter (Fitzgerald 55).” The author shows how the rich don’t care and do not what to be held accountable for their actions. They would prefer to blame the whole world for their action instead of admitting to them. There fear being exposed to the public in a negative manner. Their image means the world to them. That is why Owl eyes blamed the vehicle then simply admitting he is drunk. Which lead to him crashing his car into a

Show More
Related

  • Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes the American dream very elaborately and shows the idea of the American dream to be connected with the goal of achieving wealth. Fitzgerald does not praise wealth in the Great Gatsby but condemns it by drawing attention to the dreadful fall made by Gatsby. Fitzgerald finds the desire of wealth to be a corrupting impact on people. Throughout the novel, the characters with money contradict the idea of the American dream. They are portrayed to be very snobbish and unhappy people.

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing and Flashbacks in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    (Fitzgerald, pg. 63)  Jordan is explaining to Nick how she is able to drive badly as

    Read More

  • The Effects of Class Structure in the 1920's

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    The emerging inequitable class systems and antagonisms of the nineteen twenties saw the traditional order and moral values challenged, as well as the creation of great wealth for few and poverty for many. The Great Gatsby, written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, explores the causes and effects of the unbalanced class structures. Fitzgerald outlines the idea that the desire to accumulate wealth and status is a common ambition amongst the lower classes; when that desire is reached, the traditional upper class is challenged by the emerging newly wealthy, which finally leads to destructive consequences. By creating rigid class structures, traditional upper class, new wealth, and the poor in The Great Gatsby, it is shown that the desire to further or maintain socio-economic status leads to immoral behaviour such as criminal activity, adultery, and murder.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald’s imagery illustrates the alienation of the working class from ever achieving prosperity through the quote: “He was a blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes.” This is in the context of George Wilson’s garage in Chapter 2 when Mr.Wilson is excited by the fact that Tom plans to sell him his car. This transaction is very important to George Wilson because it symbolizes his opportunity to move up from his current unstable work place and expand his business. Without the monetary benefits of the car, George has no way of achieving success on his own and is in dire need of Tom’s help. The rise of hope in George’s eyes is described as a gleam which indicates that the future is not as clear as it could be, but it is visible and within reach. While it may seem possible at first to achieve success and prosperity, it is later disproved through Tom’s hesitation to relinquish the car to Wilson. It can be noted that George has lost hope in himself through the way he is described as anaemic and spiritless since his lacks the vitality he once had, which drove him to continue fighting for his dreams, with that

    Read More

  • Cars as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cars as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby Cars play a very important part in the telling of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is a very dark, unhappy book, and the cars really. exemplify the need for this. " â€cars change their meaning and become a symbol of death" (Dexheimer, et al.). Cars also give the reader insight into some of the different characters in the book.

    Read More

  • Minor Characters in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the character of Owl Eyes, Fitzgerald shows the rise and fall of the American Dream and the consequences that come with it. Fitzgerald uses Owl Eyes to build on the glory of the American Dream, the reader is able to see the possessions and theatrics that come along with it. The reader first sees Owl Eyes in Gatsby’s library; he is astounded by the fact that Gatsby’s books are real. “Absolutely real- have pages and everything. I thought they’d be nice durable cardboard.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Essay: The Great Gatsby is Not So Great

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fitzgerald's book at first overwhelms the reader with poetic descriptions of human feelings, of landscapes, buildings and colors. Everything seems to have a symbolic meaning, but it seems to be so strong that no one really tries to look what's happening behind those beautiful words. If you dig deeper you will discover that hidden beneath those near-lyrics are blatancies, at best.

    Read More

  • Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity by Roland Marchand

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...m that was based more on wealth and possessions and less on hard work and achievement. The fact that he later rebelled against the material 1920s culture shows that he was in fact cautioning against this lifestyle rather than encouraging it.” This more than anything proves Fitzgerald is making a commentary on the corruption of the American Dream rather than simply the tale of wealthy lovers.

    Read More

  • Fitzgerald's Use of Language in The Great Gatsby

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses tone, diction, syntax and imagery to voice Nick's perception of the world around him. In this passage his use of language is used repetitively to convey Jordan Baker, Daisy and Tom Buchanan's lives. On the outside it may look like they all are living a perfect and ideal life, however Fitzgerald's illuminating use of language highlights how far from perfect their lives truly are.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Wealth Can Breed Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    The quote evokes an image of selfishness, severe dishonesty, and overall carelessness which perfectly describes the rather shallow character, Jordan. While it may seem logical for her to keep her wrongdoings concealed, it is still immoral and shows that she has been corrupted by the desire for fame and wealth. Similar to Tom, Jordan lives life in a selfish manner, lacking concern for others. She is able to ignore her issues in order to keep her reputation, but it ultimately leaves Nick with a tainted impression of Jordan. This displays Jordan’s lack of foresight that is fostered by her nonchalant perspective on life. Then, immediately after Nick mentions how dishonest Jordan truly was, he narrates:

    Read More

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    During Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, it is apparent to be an absurd time for the wealthy. The shallowness of money, riches, and a place in a higher social class were probably the most important components in most lives at that period of time. This is expressed clearly by Fitzgerald, especially through his characters, which include Myrtle Wilson, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and of course, Jay Gatsby. This novel was obviously written to criticize and condemn the ethics of the rich.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby and the American Dream

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... on the demise of true hard work and how it slowly turned into greed through the example of Jordan Baker. Jordan Baker is continually portrayed as the "modern woman" throughout the novel insinuating that she is a representation of the general populous in the 1920s.She is obviously a successful woman who became rich as she is a professional golfer. The greed she portrays in this scene is hinting that the fact that she used the ideal of greed instead of hardworking to achieve her success.Her willingness to attain what she wants at other peoples expenses is what makes her succeed.This shows how her personal American Dream, and in turn the general American Dream of the 1920s, is flawed.

    Read More

  • Careless Driving In The Great Gatsby Essay

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses reckless driving as a metaphor to show the carelessness of the wealthy characters. Many of the characters are reckless drivers, such as Jordan Baker and Daisy Buchanan. They don’t seem to care about the well-being of other drivers that they may hurt from being bad drivers. In the novel, driving techniques symbolize social status and character which later channels death and destruction. In The Great Gatsby, the author uses reckless driving as a metaphor to show readers how people of higher social class live their lives in destructive ways.

    Read More

  • Symbols and Symbolism - Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby's house and car, symbolize material wealth.

    Read More

  • Violence Within The Great Gatsby

    375 Words  | 1 Pages

    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).

    Read More

More about How Does Fitzgerald Use Cars In The Great Gatsby

Open Document