Irony And Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Sick venom in men and women overcome with pride, a perfect world is never perfect only filled with lies, promises are broken and more resentment come alive...” -Kendrick Lamar (CITATION). With this quote Kendrick expresses that just because someone seems to have everything, they may just be missing one of the most important concepts. Happiness, faith and love are among life's most pursued dreams. However some may fail to reach them. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses irony, symbolism and characterization to instill that having artificial and materialistic values will surely result in tragedy.

Many of the characters in The Great Gatsby struggle with the choice between living for love and faith or for money and self-indulgence. One

She struggles with the decision at first but “[The] Next day at five o’clock she married Tom Buchanan without so much as a shiver” (CITATION). As a result of the marriage, Daisy is binded to Tom for the next five years and stays true to her vows. However, Daisy begins to suspect that Tom is not doing the same. This realization causes her to be pessimistic and upset most of the time. Another character of significance is Jay Gatsby, a hopeful and newly rich man whose only goal in life revolves around the lovely Daisy Buchanan. The only issue is that she has already made her decision and settled with Tom. Gatsby had met Daisy five years before the book takes place when he was an officer in for the war. They fell in love shortly before Gatsby was sent off to fight, causing Gatsby to resort to sending an occasional letter when he got the chance. One of these letters was received the day before Daisy married Tom which is what caused her conflict in the first place. Even after five years, when Gatsby and Daisy

For example, George and Myrtle Wilson are stuck in an unhappy relationship on which Myrtle says, “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman… I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe” (CITATION). She obviously does not care for Wilson because he is not wealthy, or fit, enough to satisfy all of her wants. Tom on the other hand is financially able to afford whatever she could want. After seeing a cute dog she demands that “[She] want[s] to get one of those dogs” (CITATION). Tom of course proceeds to buy her whatever she wants. It is obvious to readers that the only reason Myrtle wants Tom is his enormous wealth and his ability to provide anything for her. This love for something as artificial as money leads to Wilson confronting Myrtle about her affair and causes her to flee towards Gatsby, who she mistakes for Tom, and is killed by his car. Another character who is seen as ingenuine is Myrtle’s sister Catherine who the narrator, Nick, meets at a party in New York. Readers gain some insight on Catherine’s purpose to the novel in her initial description “Her eyebrows had been plucked then drawn on again at a more rakish angle, but the efforts of nature toward the restoration of the old alignment gave a blurred air to her face” (CITATION). Even from reader’s first impression of Catherine, they can tell that Fitzgerald is