Premium Essay

Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

Submitted By
Words 378
Pages 2
Title
The characters in the Great Gatsby are blind from the realities of the world by their wealth and this causes them to act in such a careless manner. Carelessness would best be described in novel The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Main characters such as Jay Gatz, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway and Myrtle Wilson all represent a key role of carelessness in The Great Gatsby. Soon this will lead to adultery, lies, betrayal and death.
First, the theme carelessness applies to Tom Buchanan unfaithful marriage with Daisy Buchanan. Tom is introduced as a yale football star and a filthy rich ,“old money”. Tom and Daisy are not your typically star cross lovers.Mainly because he is thoughtless and insensitive. Tom has affairs

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Examples Of Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

...The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the novel the characters are quite careless, Tom and Daisy Buchanan in particular. One of the main characters, Nick, even says “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness.” pg 191. These characters are a married couple but both cheat on each other. They emotionally and physically abuse people which eventually leads as far as murder. Tom Buchanan cheats on his wife, Daisy with a woman named Myrtle, who is also married. In addition to this, he doesn't really try and hide that fact. This is shown when Nick is having dinner with Miss Baker and the Buchanan's, and Tom leaves the table to answer a call. Miss Baker tells Nick, "Tom's...

Words: 818 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Examples Of Daisy Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

...to avoiding harm or errors. Throughout the novel “The Great Gatsby” the reader is to see how the characters Tom and Daisy are careless. Both of the characters are careless in the same way in regard to their money, their marriage, and how they treat others. Both their carelessness leads to very important parts of this novel. Tom’s carelessness lead Daisy to fall back in love with Gatsby and leads to Gatsby’s death. Daisy carelessness also leads to the Death of Gatsby’s death. There are many instances that throughout this novel that proves Daisy was indeed careless. The first way I believe Daisy is careless is the way she spends her money. She does not have a worry in the world and will often spend money on expensive things no matter the coat she just want to impress people. The second reason I believe Daisy is careless is her marriage. She cheats on Tom with Gatsby but she does not feel sorry for her actions at all. The third reason Daisy is...

Words: 686 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Tom Buchanan's Carelessness In 'The Great Gatsby'

...Nikki Woldar Mr. J Romano AP English Language and Composition 22 November 2016 Great Gatsby Essay In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, certain characters do not think about their actions and the consequences that come from these choices. Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan are two characters who portray a nature of carelessness and selfishness. In the novel, Fitzgerald wrote, “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 made…” This quote signifies that Tom and Daisy are so corrupted by their wealth and perception of life that they...

Words: 1351 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

How Does Jordan Baker Create Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

...The Roaring Twenties is an era known for its creativity, chaos and carelessness. As all 3 thrive in American life, but carelessness seems to open itself up in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses the 1920’s element of carelessness to write a novel on how it represents a problem in the American Dream. Fitzgerald us Jordan Baker and Owl Eye’s carelessness to represent how America suffered from the carelessness that is brought up in the 1920s. Jordan Baker is a professional golfer, who has a tendency to lie and has a habit of being careless. Her carelessness is exemplified during Nick’s first Gatsby party. Nick comments, “She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage” (58). Fitzgerald uses his narrator to shed light on Jordan’s inability to be out of control in situations as a playing field in her carelessness. As long as...

Words: 579 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Who Are The Careless Drivers In The Great Gatsby

...After reading The Great Gatsby, Jacqueline Lance, author of the article “Driving to Destruction with the Rich and Careless at the Wheel” in the journal Studies in Popular Culture, wrote about her observations of automobiles which represented the social status of the characters in the novel: Not only are characters defined by the kind and color of automobile they drive, but the way they behave behind the wheel strongly indicates their attitude towards life and relationships; those who are “careless” drivers approach life in the same manner with which they approach the open road. The characters in the novel who are the most careless drivers emerge as those who are the most careless in their personal relationships. Lance suggests that during the 1920s, the automobile represents the class structure and the type of automobile determines a person’s status. Color symbolically displays a person’s important characteristic. For example, Gatsby’s Roll Royce advertises his “new rich,” and its yellow color, which applies to gold,...

Words: 1056 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Immoral Morality

...often consider the lower class less pleasing, and often less than human than themselves. Through a Marxist reading of The Great Gatsby, we can see how Fitzgerald portrayed the “elite upper class” as lacking a sense moral responsibility. To these characters nothing is of value unless it furthers their elite status, they show little concern for anyone but themselves and place little value on human life. Marxist theory asserts that in Capitalism, desired people are perceived as desirable objects. Often in Gatsby, human beings are treated as objects to be obtained. When we see Daisy’s daughter she is brought out as a show piece. Daisy shows her off and then sends her away with her nurse even though the child asks to stay with her mother. Daisy treats her like an object talking about her as though she were an inanimate object. She wants her daughter to look perfect, like a "little dream" (Fitzgerald123). Her daughter is nothing more than another way to establish her social status. Daisy demonstrates that clearly wealth and class are important rather than just wealth or love. Gatsby himself seems to be obsessed with wealth and image and obviously takes any measures necessary to attain them. He is very proud and boastful regarding his mansion and Rolls Royce, “It’s pretty, isn’t it, old sport…Haven’t you seen it before?” (Fitzgerald 68) In pursuing Daisy, Gatsby seems more concerned with showing her his house and...

Words: 1349 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Behind the Glamourous Image of the 1920's

...The 1920’s were known for its great economy, getting rich quick, fabulous parties, and flapper girls. However, things might not always be what they seem. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the reality behind the glamorous image of the 1920’s. He portrays this through the shallowness of party goers, lack of concern for the less fortunate, and selfishness. Fitzgerald shows the shallowness of people through the interaction of Gatsby’s party goers and Daisy’s relationship with her daughter. Nick describes Daisy interacting with her daughter, Pammy, only once throughout the whole book. “… a nurse leading a little girl came into the room…’Come to your own mother who loves you’” said Daisy as her daughter parted with the nurse to hug her mother (117). Daisy loves her daughter, but she doesn’t take on the full responsibility of a mother. A hired nurse is responsible for tending to most of Pammy’s needs. Daisy only briefly spends time with her daughter. Normal parties are social gatherings in honor of the host, however, Gatsby’s parties were slightly different. “People were not invited- they went there… Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all” (41). The party goers weren’t there for Gatsby or the other people who were there. They went with their own groups of people just to have fun and get free food and alcohol. Jordan displays this solitary attitude by stating “And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy”...

Words: 922 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Comparsion

...1920s era novel The Great Gatsby, the character George Wilson shoots the protagonist Jay Gatsby dead. But who is to blame for this moral lapse in judgment? Obviously the person who pulled the trigger, right? But what about other shady characters like Tom and Daisy Buchanan who lied to George in order to get “off the hook”? It is clear that Tom and Daisy played a key role in the murder of Gatsby; therefore, they should share the responsibility for his death. When George comes to Tom to find out who owns the yellow car, Tom reveals that it was Gatsby, knowing full well George’s deranged mental state and his intentions to murder the car owner. Furthermore, Tom fails to mention important details about the accident—like the fact that it was Daisy driving the car, not Gatsby—in order to pin the blame on Gatsby. It is obvious that Tom knew about Daisy’s involvement in car accident because of his decision to leave town the day after the incident. Furthermore, Tom’s spineless cowardice is displayed by his failure to fess up to the crime of adultery with George’s wife. It is obvious to Tom that George is hunting for the man who had the affair with his wife, and yet Tom has the mendaciousness to blame his own crimes on Gatsby as well. It must be stressed that Tom knew full well while speaking with George that afterward he would seek out Gatsby and try to kill him—and yet he does nothing. This makes him directly accountable for the death of Gatsby and thus morally...

Words: 513 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Examples Of Relationships In The Great Gatsby

...relationships is ‘true love’, but in The Great Gatsby, it’s about the economic and social stability in life. The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald which is a story about the rich and poor in the 1920’s, taking place in New York. It shows the selfishness and carelessness of the rich and how the poor always gets screwed. The character, Jay Gatsby, fell hopelessly in love with the ‘golden’ girl, Daisy Buchanan, but because of complications like money and status, getting together with her becomes a mission for him. The story is told by Nick Carraway who is thrown in the middle of a mess between the affairs of the privileged characters. Nick narrates the storyline and how the relationships in the novel...

Words: 749 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Great Gatsby: Claims And Questions

...The Great Gatsby Ch. 8-9 Claims and Questions Claim #1: In my opinion, the last sentence is a reassuring quote by Fitzgerald. It essentially means that even though you think your dreams are unreachable, it shouldn’t stop you from trying to achieve it. For Gatsby, his dream was trying to recreate his moments with Daisy back when Daisy wasn’t married to Tom and before Gatsby was in the army. He wanted to recreate the past and even though getting Daisy back was unlikely it didn’t stop him. This applies with everyone in society who may be trying to relive the moments that they cherished or even live the moments that they regret missing. Evidence: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (180) Claim #2: At the end of the book, Nick concluded that Daisy was actually perfect for Tom because they were exactly the same. They were both cowards that hide behind their problems with their wealth. They think that they can get away with anything...

Words: 491 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Great Gatsby

...to transform a person via wealth. As a result, the American Dream is recreated and seen to be the ideal lifestyle desired by the residents of the nation. Although a paradox, this golden dream of commodities, individualism and hard work to gain abundant money becomes a nightmare of materialism and carelessness. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic arbitration of the disintegration and underside of the American dream and portrays the consequences of those in pursuit it. Although ironic, Fitzgerald uses cars as a motif to represent the wealthy class living the corrupted American dream, whose careless actions drive the destruction of the 1920’s decade. He demonstrates this by using the car accident after one of Gatsby’s parties to foreshadow disastrous events, by emphasising Jordan Baker’s carelessness towards cars and her driving skills as a further insight to the recklessness of the wealthy, and by referring to Gatsby’s car as the “death car” after the incident of Myrtle’s death, applying a deeper meaning to the title. Fitzgerald applies the car crash that takes place in the third chapter to foreshadow the danger of the upper class’s carelessness. Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker...

Words: 1589 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

The Role Of Money In The Great Gatsby

...Throughout Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the central character – Jay Gatsby experiences the adverse elements of wealth. Fitzgerald illustrates money as the creator of dubious assurance though Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Additionally, he construes money as a temporary title by examining individuals’ actions before and after Gatsby’s death. Furthermore, he also portrays money as disingenuous matter that disrupts personal principles. In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald demonstrates the negative aspect of money such as creating a false sense of security, causing of momentary admiration and disrupting one's morals. Money often creates an erroneous impression of security for many. Money gives Gatsby a deceitful confidence. During...

Words: 1518 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Examples Of Syntax In The Great Gatsby

...with wealth, who have profited from the idea of the American dream, tend to fall short of greatness when it comes to being a genuine person. Unlike others from this time period, Jay Gatsby manages to achieve the American dream and be a genuine person. Through a short passage in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald employs diction and syntax to convey the message of the shallowness of the upper class. Fitzgerald carefully selected words that have a strong negative connotation to describe the wealthy. The day before Gatsby’s death, Nick visits him. At this time, Nick is unaware of what would become of Gatsby. During his visit, he says, “They’re a rotten crowd” (154)....

Words: 691 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Literary Analysis On The Great Gatsby

...A Analysis is the practice of looking closely at small parts to see how they affect the whole, but a Literary analysis focuses on how plot plus structure, character, setting, and many other techniques. That's what I intend to achieve in this essay about The Great Gatsby. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the theme of wealth can breed carelessness in my own opinion. Using the literary techniques of point of view, juxtaposition, and foreshadowing to create meaning in his classic work. The word “careless” sums up Nick's friends as I think and also what the author says in the book himself. For example I feel like Gatsby’s whole life trying to contract his money and status so that he could reach a certain position in life. This is what motivated him to move to west egg to be right across the lake from Daisy, making as much money by doing anything possible. I felt in his position Daisy wanted and needed a man that was wealthy so he changed himself to win her back. At a point him and Daisy were perfect for eachother when he was unwealthy, but their affair foreshadowed that it was a doomed relationship showing that she only wanted him for his money now. As we can see now, the relationship was never doomed at the end for Daisy as she runs away, as her secondary lover dies. Another...

Words: 832 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

What Does The Yellow Car Represent In The Great Gatsby

...F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, demonstrates that Jay Gatsby lives a life of the American Dream gone wrong by lowering his morals with the corrupt nature of greed, Jay only focuses on the past to move forward in his own grand dream for himself, and how Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism during the Roaring Twenties exemplifies theme areas in the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, the cars represent a form of status. Nick takes taxis while Gatsby drives his custom made, cream-yellow car. According to Dan Seiters, “It is a rich cream color, a combination of the white of the dream and the yellow of money, of reality in a narrow sense,” (1). After Daisy kills Myrtle a bystander talks about the car and says, “It was a yellow car....

Words: 1645 - Pages: 7