Character Analysis of Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway

Uploaded by awufa on Jul 3, 2006

Character Analysis of Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway

A man is tested against nature and then tested again by how well he behaves in relation to other
men,” (46) Richard Lehan stated in The Great Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder. In The Great Gatsby, F.
Scott Fitzgerald tested each of his characters by giving him or her a place in society and seeing how
each one would react to his or her surroundings. East Egg and West Egg are the areas where the
main characters in this novel lived and through stereotypes of Tom, Daisy, Gatsby and Nick, it is clear
what East and West Egg represent.

Because of East Eggers’ old, exclusive money, they seemed to think that they were superior and if
any obstacle appeared in their path, they were secure with their money behind them. In Modern
Critical Views: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harold Bloom states that “In Gatsby we see that the charming
irresponsibility of the flapper has developed into the criminal amorality of Daisy Buchanan, and that
the smug conceit of the Rich Boy has hardened into Tom Buchanan’s arrogant cruelty,” (74). When
Daisy ran over Myrtle Wilson, she and Tom simply disappeared and left Gatsby to deal with the
punishment of a crime that he never committed. Tom’s affair also represented their ideas on morality
– that as long as he had old money, he could do whatever he wanted. “Surrounded from childhood by
the artificial security of wealth, accustomed to owning rather than wanting, they lack anxiety or
illusion, frustration or fulfillment,” (75).

West Egg represents western values such as romanticism and capitalism. Nick Carraway and Jay
Gatsby are typical possessors of “new money,” who achieved wealth but still are not accepted into
the exclusive society of East Egg. Gatsby was much more of a romantist that Nick was, for he did
everything – attain massive amounts of wealth, throw huge parties, involve himself in illegal business
affairs, and even embark upon an affair – in order to win back Daisy. “In creating himself, Gatsby had
no social or moral context to give his intensity direction,” (Lehan 31). With no other life goal than
Daisy, Gatsby ended up engaging in immoral activities.

Both East Eggers and West Eggers were wealthy, but because of one major difference in their lives,
they would not and could not ever understand each other. That difference is the American Dream.
“Those who possess the necessary means lack the will, motive or capacity to pursue a dream,”
(Bloom 75). The rich do not care to detach themselves from the meaningless, materialistic lives that
they lead in order to pursue a dream, because everything else they have was handed to them on a
silver platter. West Eggers, did not have the “necessary means” - money – to easily follow a dream,
but through the American Dream, they rose up “from rags to riches” because they had the will.

Even though money plays a big role in The Great Gatsby, wealth was not Gatsby’s American Dream.
“The thirst for money is a crucial motive in Gatsby (as in Fitzgerald’s other novels), and yet none of
his major characters are materialists, for money is never their final goal,” (74). Money was the
element that connected Gatsby to Daisy. Money for Daisy was an excuse for her to act however she
desired. There was no way for their romance to work out if money was such an important ingredient.
That is why Daisy gave Gatsby up when Tom revealed to her the origin of Gatsby’s wealth (Lehan
76).

Nick Carraway was the only character in The Great Gatsby who realized the truth about life. “Nick
Carraway, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the variety of life, attains Fitzgerald’s mature
realization that the protective enchantment of the romantic ideal lies in its remoteness from actuality,”
(Boom 74). Just like everyone else, Nick too was captivated by the immense wealth of Tom and
Daisy. Then, he realized that they were nothing but “two of the very rich, who in the end represent
nothing but themselves,” (78). Nick stated at the end of Gatsby that “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. . .,” (Fitzgerald 187-188).

Nick at first was also impressed by the American Dream and how Gatsby was able to achieve it. But
then Nick realized that money was not Gatsby’s ultimate goal, and that his ideal was impossible to
accomplish because he could not control Daisy. “The desire for Daisy energizes his world, fuels his
very being; and when he loses her, romantic possibility is exhausted, a romantic state of mind
depleted, (Lehan 73). Nick told us that, “he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a
high price for living too long with a single dream. He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky
through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw
the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass,” (Fitzgerald 169).

At the end of The Great Gatsby, the theme of the corruption of the American dream is apparent that
the East does “symbolize contemporary decadence and the West does not symbolize the pristine
virtues of an earlier America,” (Bloom 78). Tom and Daisy ended up running away from a crime and
letting Gatsby die as a result. Gatsby failed to represent the true, legitimate West because he
Character Analysis of Tom Buchanan from the Great Gatsby
Uploaded by road2nowhere on Aug 7, 2006
Character Analysis of Tom Buchanan from the Great Gatsby

Out of the five main characters in the Great Gatsby, I disliked Tom Buchanan the most ( however his
wife Daisy was a close second). He just didn't seem like he was a nice person, and he also seemed
extremely self-absorbed. I don't believe that he and I would choose the same values that we would
consider important in guiding our lives.

One of Tom's important values is wealth. He was very rich and thought that it made him superior to
other people. He enjoys showing off his possessions, " I've got a nice place here. It belonged to the
Demaine oil man" (Great Gatsby, 12). In this case, Tom is showing Nick his house and obviously
thinks that because it belonged to the Demaine oil man that it makes it a little more important. Tom
thinks that poor people are inferior to him and he is quite the snob. He is from old money and often
refers to the newly rich as " bootleggers", people who distributed alcohol during prohibition. Tom
doesn't think much of Gatsby , and claims that he pegged him as a bootlegger the moment he saw
him. When Daisy tells Tom that she is leaving him for Gatsby he says, " She's not leaving me!
Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring to put on her finger!" ( 140). Later,
Tom even sends Daisy home with Gatsby , adding that his presumptuous flirtation was over.

Power and control over people is something that Tom considers important in guiding his life.
Throughout the novel he has shown, time and time again that he is the type of person who likes to
control others and what they do. Sometimes he is nothing more than a bully and other times he is
just cruel. He often talks to George Wilson, his mistress' husband about selling him his car, which he
never actually intends to do. He is simply toying with the man, but becomes angry when Wilson tries
to talk to him about it: " Very well then , I won't sell you the car at all... I'm under no obligations to you
at all...And as for your bothering me about it at lunch time I won't stand for that at all!" (122). Tom was
being extremely cruel at that moment because Wilson needed the money that would come from the
car and Tom didn't care. There are times when Tom loses his temper when people don't obey him.
When Myrtle Wilson started shouting Daisy's name ( she said that she could say it whenever she
wanted to), Tom broke her nose. Later in the novel Tom couldn't stand it when he realizes that his
wife and mistress were " slipping precipitately from his control". He confronts Gatsby in the hotel and
says, " I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your
wife. Well, if that's the idea then you can count me out" (137). Tom couldn't stand having control so
he made a scene. After ridding Daisy of whatever courage she had, he ordered her to go home. That
was how he handled the situation.

Tom also values aesthetics, which means " tasteful or sensitive to beauty". That is not to say that his
actions are very tasteful, but that he acts like man of high class and good taste. He buys extravagant
things such as a bunch of polo ponies or a $350 000 string of pearls for Daisy. He is concerned with
what he sees as the loss of his own high status and is the perfect example of "old money". He is
extremely pompous : he married the girl that everyone wanted and when he did that he came from
Chicago " with a hundred people in four private cars and hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel".
Tom values expensive things that are both beautiful and tasteful.

Tom also values knowledge, and considers himself to be an intellectual. He is obsessed with books: "
I've gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. have you ever read the ' The Rise of the Colored
Empires'? It's a fine book and everyone ought to read it. It's scientific stuff, it's all been proven" (17).
Tom's " scientific" book claims that the colored races will submerge the white race eventually. Tom is
obsessed with an inevitable downfall of society. He is very insecure and his attempts at
intellectualism are rather fumbled.

There are some values that Tom preaches, but doesn't practice. One of those values is morality. He
condemns the affair between Daisy and Gatsby and even claims that it is a step toward the eventual
collapse of society and inter-racial marriage: " Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and
family institutions and next they'll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black
and white". Tom is the ultimate hypocrite : he condemns his wife's affair but has no qualms about his
own infidelity. He even admits, " Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool out of myself, but
I have always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time" . What kind of a person preaches
about the decline of society , using his wife's infidelity as proof and yet admits to having his own little
"sprees" ?

Perhaps I dislike Tom so much because I find that his values are all so shallow and in his own self
interest. Nick Carraway puts it best: " 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..."
CONTRASTING VALUES IN THE GREAT GATSBY
Uploaded by esalihm (140) on May 31, 2006

CONTRASTING VALUES IN THE GREAT GATSBY

In 1920s, after WW1, USA went under a radical change and social reform took place. The
developments in industrialization caused a decay in moral values. This resulted in materialism’s
obliteration of the doctrines and rules of moral duties. Thus, the society was torn apart due to the
clash between old and new values. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald reflects the American
society during this period and clearly portrays the contrast between traditional and corrupted values
by manifesting the distinct character traits, attitudes and habits of the characters; their individual
patterns of typical lives and thoughts about the others.

Old values represent the traditional life style and are based on morality and virtue. The
characteristics of these values are portrayed by some characters, events and settings throughout the
book. Firstly, old values give one a sense of right or wrong and an obedience to social conventions.
For example, Nick, the narrator of the book who lives according to these values says that he is slow
thinking and full of interior rules that act as brakes on his desires. Then he observes the people
around him and adds that he is one of the few honest people that he has ever known (64). His ideas
show that spiritual values such as self-control, honesty and human respect are significant but rare.
Secondly, the old life style includes close and warm friendships that depend on respect and love.
Gatsby trusts Nick and shares his secrets with him. They establish a genuine friendship. This
emphasizes the importance and scarcity of sincere relationships. Furthermore, the old life style is
characterized by a certain modesty in which wealth and public show of it are not the only sources of
validation. This way of life is illustrated by the settings of the book. For instance, West Egg, where
Nick and Gatsby live, corresponds to the traditional life style. Nick describes this place and writes: “I
lived at West Egg, the-well, the less fashionable of the two. (...) My own house was an eye-sore but it
was a small eye-sore and it had been overlooked” (9).We understand that this place is associated by
old-fashioned stability, modesty and frugality; concepts that are meaningful according to the old moral
code.

On the other hand, after WW1 as people got away from the traditional life style, their moral
considerations were suspended. These changes are illustrated by the personalities, behavior and life
styles of several characters in the book. Firstly, these characters are concerned chiefly and only with
themselves. As Nick observes Tom and Daisy who have been cruel ad vulgar, he explains their
attitudes towards others by saying that “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“(187). Throughout the book, they act vulgarly and
cruelly. This criticism points out the fact that selfishness is one of the major traits present in the
society. Secondly, although people meet frequently in social events, they lack sincere intimacy. At
Gatsby’s party, Nick hears the guests milling around, exchanging rumors about their host but no one
seems to know the truth about Gatsby’s wealth or personal history. This indicates that although
people seem very close, they don’t really share anything and are distant. The corruption of society is
clearly indicated by this secession among people. In addition, suspension of devotion to family
comes along with corruption of values. For example, Jay Gatsby was in fact called James Gatz. He
changed his name because “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his
imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of
West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God” (104).
As it is emphasized in this quote, Jay Gatsby struggles to establish a new life for himself just
because his parents are poor and don’t fit into the idealistic figure of modern family. Furthermore,
materialism replaces the vanishing values and money promotes to be the only aspiration of the
people. The luxury of Tom’s house is described by elaborate decorations such as “the frosted
wedding cake of the ceiling”, “wine-colored rug” and an “enormous couch” (12). This rich decoration
shows how important appearance and money are. The fact that decorations of this house are
considered significant and worked on elaborately despite the problematic relationships is a proof of
the corruption in the society.

In conclusion, there are two distinct groups in the society: The conventional people and the “modern”
ones who are pursuers of power and superiority. They disregard moral values and are carried away
by a stream of materialism. There is a huge gap between these two groups. This secession ruins the
unity, peace and prosperity in the society.
Corruption of Society in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
Uploaded by selenatrichel (99) on Jan 7, 2007
In this paper, I will prove that the novel The Great Gatsby shows the American Dream as a corrupt
idea. My proof will be based upon the juxtaposition of Jay Gatsby's and Myrtle Wilson's deaths, the
wealth of Jay Gatsby and his desire for Daisy, and the immoral actions of the characters in this novel.
When writing The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald made a point to reflect his feeling that the American
Dream could not be reached because it is an imperfect and corrupt idea. He used his characters to
do so. Fitzgerald's characters are divided into three groups, each of which shows a different
perspective of Fitzgerald's theme. The wealthy are portrayed in two groups: the East Eggers and the
West Eggers. The East Eggers are old money and look down upon the West Eggers because they
are new money. This relationship demonstrates the corruption of the American Dream through the
discrimination by the East Eggers and through the crooked ways that the West Eggers have found to
get rich. The poor in the novel, represented by George and Myrtle Wilson, show the longing for
wealth and their dishonest chase of that dream. Because this novel is written mostly around the
wealthy of New York, the flaws of the American Dream are easy to recognize.

Fitzgerald shows the idea that the American Dream is flawed through the juxtaposed deaths of Jay
and Myrtle. The juxtaposition of Jay and Myrtle's deaths is realized through looking at their history. In
The Great Gatsby, Jay is a man who comes from no money. In his early twenties, when he meets
Daisy who is of an aristocratic family, Jay decides that he will do anything he must to make enough
money to marry Daisy. When the action of this novel begins, Jay has already worked his way up to a
wealthy lifestyle and is in the process of getting Daisy to fall in love with him again. Immediately in
the first chapter, we see that Jay is living the American Dream when Nick describes his mansion as a
colossal affair…spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more
than forty acres of lawn and garden.” Although Jay is living the American Dream in all of his
wealth, he is unhappy without the love of Daisy. At the opposite cliche, Myrtle Wilson is very poor.
Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes and has never had money. Myrtle is very discontented in her
marriage to her poor but loyal husband, George. Myrtle is having a love affair with Tom while Jay is
having a love affair with Tom's wife, Daisy. Although the fact that Tom and Daisy are each cheating on
the other is ironic, it is not juxtaposed in the story. What is juxtaposed, however, is the similar passing
of Jay and Myrtle. Daisy kills Myrtle by running her over in Jay's car. Jay does not tell the town that
Daisy killed Myrtle, even when he is the suspected murder. Daisy does nothing to take responsibility
for Myrtle's death and even goes so far as to move far away to escape the rumors that she may have
killed Myrtle. The actions of Jay and Daisy are very elusive. Later, Jay Gatsby is murdered by George
Wilson. George goes after Gatsby because George loves Myrtle and thinks that Jay is her killer.
George's love for Myrtle is a reflection of Jay's love for Daisy. Both men were willing to go to
extremes in their devotion to women. Jay's death is very similar to Myrtle's in that it passes with little
notice. No one comes to Jay's funeral except Nick and Jay's father. In Myrtle's chasing the American
Dream in immoral ways and in Jay Gatsby's living the American Dream without happiness, their
deaths are juxtaposed. Fitzgerald chose to include this juxtaposition to show the idea that the
American Dream does not bring certain happiness.

Not only does Fitzgerald show the imperfections of the American Dream through Gatsby's death but
through Gatsby's life also. The author's idea is that life will never be perfect. He expresses this idea
by showing Gatsby living in his extravagant house, throwing amazing parties and driving beautiful
cars yet still yearning for more. Gatsby wants Daisy. Nick's prologue at the end of the book
communicates this idea to the reader: He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must
have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (189). Here, Nick is talking about
Gatsby's pursuit of life with Daisy. This is important because it tells us that Gatsby is not happy, even
in living the American Dream. From the story of Jay Gatsby's life, we see that the American Dream is
full of imperfections because life can never be perfect.

Another way the author displays the imperfections of the American Dream is through the
imperfections of American society. We see examples of this reflection of corrupt society in the affairs,
murders and other illegal actions that the characters choose to take. Specifically, we see this concept
in the love affairs between Tom and Myrtle and between Jay and Daisy. It is obvious that Tom is
sneaking around behind Daisy's back to visit his mistress, when on page 28, Nick describes his
meeting with Myrtle, So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York- or not quite
together, for Mrs. Wilson sat discreetly in another car.” Immoral actions like Tom's prove that
humans are never flawless. Moreover, after running over Myrtle, Jay and Daisy do nothing to show
remorse. This lack of concern causes George Wilson to shoot Jay Gatsby. The endless list of
dishonest episodes that Fitzgerald selected to include in The Great Gatsby, shows the deficiency of
the American Dream ideal. The American Dream cannot ensure happiness because the world is
always going to be somewhat corrupt.

We find the significance of this story through Jay and Myrtle's juxtaposed deaths, which show both
Myrtle's immoral hunt for the American Dream and Gatsby's unhappiness in living it, and through the
morally wrong exploits throughout the novel. Fitzgerald encompasses all of these things to show that
the American Dream cannot ensure contentment. Without this theme reverberating throughout the
Failed Dreams in the Great Gatsby
Uploaded by jeannie on Dec 29, 2006
Failed Dreams in the Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about one man’s pursuit of the American Dream
and his downfall as he tries to reach this imaginary goal. Although the dream is different for each
person, the principal idea behind the dream is if an individual is determined to reach a goal, he or she
has of chance of achieving wealth, and the happiness that accompanies it. In The Great Gatsby, Jay
Gatsby believes that one can acquire happiness through the accumulation of wealth and power.

Jay Gatsby is a visible example of the success and the failure of the American Dream. Gatsby is
living the American Dream. Initially, he appears to be a self-made, wealthy man, and is a remarkable
example of how hard work can lead to material prosperity. Gatsby exhibits that it is possible to
achieve wealth and success through determination. Although he is the child of “unsuccessful farm
people” he manages to cross this social barrier and overcome his modest childhood. He is able to
raise himself to his high social stature through hard work and perseverance. The one reason that
Gatsby is determined to achieve material wealth is to recapture the love that he once shared with
Daisy. Gatsby’s interpretation of the American Dream is where the charming hero-himself, becomes
extremely successful and affluent and wins the love back of the “beautiful damsel in distress.” Gatsby
throws extravagant parties to try to impress Daisy. He tries to live out his dream of being reunited
with her, and reliving the past love that they shared. During one of these parties, Nick and Jordan
come across Gatsby’s impressive library that is filled with books. As they came into the library, they
came across a man who was astonished at the fact that the books in Gatsby’s library were
“absolutely real-have pages and everything” (50), but these books were unread. The pages were not
cut, signifying that the books were never opened and were put there for show. This illustrates the
somewhat shallow, false side of Gatsby. Although he is personified as a high class, intelligent man,
this personification starts to diminish when his superficial side is shown.

Gatsby embodies the mores of the American Dream. He comes from a poor childhood in the West,
and moves to the East in hopes of making his fortune. Nonetheless Gatsby preserves the innocence
of the West. As a result of retaining this innocence, Gatsby’s dreams prevent Nick from witnessing
the moral corruption in Gatsby that he sees in Tom and Daisy. Before Nick leaves to return home, he
yells out “They’re a rotten crowd…You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together” (162).

Although Gatsby reached his goal of becoming rich and powerful, there still seemed to be emptiness
left in his life. Gatsby had everything that he desired, except for love. Gatsby tried everything in his
power to relive the past and recapture Daisy’s love, but he failed to do so. His dreams were shattered
when he asked Daisy to admit that she had never loved Tom, and she refused to do so-“I did love
him once-but I loved you too” (140). This was the turning point in their relationship, and the beginning
of the end of their love affair. Gatsby tried wooing her and using his wealth in order for her to coincide
with him, but she never did.

A fascinating parallel can be drawn between Myrtle’s interpretation of the

American Dream and Gatsby’s. Like Gatsby, Myrtle has incentive and aspiration. She too is trying to
reach a higher stature on the social pyramid. She is trying to reach Tom Buchanan’s social position.
In contrast to Gatsby, wealth corrupts and destroys Myrtle. Myrtle shows her passiveness and her
lack of social position and morals when she lets Tom buy her affection by giving her gifts. Myrtle
Wilson dreams of being rich and having all the money that her heart desires. She thinks Tom is going
to leave his wife Daisy and marry her. She puts up with his vulgarity and beatings in order to reach
her dream. Tom will never leave his wife to be with her. Myrtle’s rendition of the American Dream
never comes true and she eventually gets killed.

The upper class that is depicted in The Great Gatsby is an example of how the American Dream has
failed. The principles of working hard, taking responsibility, having respect and showing decency
towards one another are lost to greediness, selfishness, and snobbery. These people are superficial
and believe that money can buy happiness. They come to Gatsby’s parties uninvited, and gossip
about Gatsby in his own home-“’Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once’…‘I don’t think
its so much that… it’s more that he was a German spy during the war” (48). People tend to overlook
the significant characteristics in others, and tend to focus more on the shallow characteristics of the
person.

The Great Gatsby is not merely a description about the failed aspirations of many people; it is also
about how the American Dream is too extreme an ideal to ever be reached. The American Dream
can be perceived in many ways. One can consider the American Dream to be about wealth and
power, and others can see if as ones accomplishments fulfilled through hard work and dedication

Gatsby's Pursuit Of The American Dream

 Uploaded by exemployee on Jun 15, 2005

Gatsby's Pursuit Of The American Dream

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the downfall of
those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American Dream is
central to many novels. This dream is different for different people, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay,
the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness. To get this happiness Jay
must reach into the past and relive an old dream and in order to do this he must have wealth and
power.

Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the the story, is one character who longs for the past. Surprisingly he
devotes most of his adult life trying to recapture it and, finally, dies in its pursuit. In the past, Jay had
a love affair with the affluent Daisy. Knowing he could not marry her because of the difference in their
social status, he leaves her to amass wealth to reach her economic standards. Once he acquires this
wealth, he moves near to Daisy, "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the
bay (83)," and throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance she might show up at one of them. He,
himself, does not attend his parties but watches them from a distance. When this dream doesn't
happen, he asks around casually if anyone knows her. Soon he meets Nick Carraway, a cousin of
Daisy, who agrees to set up a meeting, "He wants to know...if you'll invite Daisy to your house some
afternoon and then let him come over (83)." Gatsby's personal dream symbolizes the larger
American Dream where all have the opportunity to get what they want.

Later, as we see in the Plaza Hotel, Jay still believes that Daisy loves him. He is convinced of this as
is shown when he takes the blame for Myrtle's death. "Was Daisy driving?" "Yes...but of course I'll
say I was." (151) He also watches and protects Daisy as she returns home. "How long are you going
to wait?" "All night if necessary." (152) Jay cannot accept that the past is gone and done with. Jay is
sure that he can capture his dream with wealth and influence. He believes that he acted for a good
beyond his personal interest and that should guarantee success.

Nick attempts to show Jay the folly of his dream, but Jay innocently replies to Nick's assertion that
the past cannot be relived by saying, "Yes you can, old sport." This shows the confidence that Jay
has in fulfilling his American Dream. For Jay, his American Dream is not material possessions,
although it may seem that way. He only comes into riches so that he can fulfill his true American
Dream, Daisy.

Gatsby doesn't rest until his American Dream is finally fulfilled. However, it never comes about and
he ends up paying the ultimate price for it. The idea of the American Dream still holds true in today's
time, be it wealth, love, or fame. But one thing never changes about the American Dream; everyone
desires something in life, and everyone, somehow, strives to get it. Gatsby is a prime example of
pursuing the American Dream.

Fitzgerald's Judgment Of Tom Buchanan

Uploaded by Az Performance on Sep 13, 2005
Fitzgerald's Judgment Of Tom Buchanan

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan is a very wealthy man, who lives in the east egg of
long island, who is described by Fitzgerald as arrogant and overbearing. He is snobbish towards
others who either don?t have as much money as him, haven?t had money that long, or got their
money unethically. The light that Tom is portrayed in, displays him as someone who will never be
hindered by his poor qualities as a person. Tom?s overbearing attitude, and arrogance end up being
his downfall, because he cannot see his own mistakes.

Arrogance is when someone feels that they must always have a final say, and find it necessary to
prove others wrong. Tom?s arrogance comes into full bloom during the meeting between himself,
Gatsby, Nick, and Daisy. When Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy no longer loves him, Tom refutes this by
claiming that Daisy could never love Gatsby, because he got his money illegally. Tom says that

?I suppose the latest thing is to sit back an let Mr. Nobody form Nowhere make love to your wife.
Well, if that?s the idea you can count me out?Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and
family institutions and next they?ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black
and white.?

He goes on to let Daisy go home with Gatsby, because he is so confidant that she will not desert him.
Tom?s presumptuousness, that Daisy will be completely loyal to him because he knows that she will
not run off with a nobody criminal, is his arrogance. He doesn?t understand that it?s his fault that
Daisy is unhappy and wants to leave. He is blind to the fact that Gatsby has been trying to impress
Daisy, and that she loves him too. Tom?s arrogance causes him to be blind to the fact that Daisy is
very unhappy, and that she truly loves Gatsby.

Fitzgerald describes Tom?s overbearing nature through descriptions and the subtle actions that Tom
takes. He is physically described as cruel, and aggressive. When Nick first sees Tom in the book, he
describes him.

?His eyes appeared as if they established dominance over his face. There was touch of paternal
contempt in his voice, even towards people he liked.?

Nick is the one character in the book that does not judge someone by appearances, and we can
therefore see Tom?s overbearing nature in an impartial light. Tom is described as someone always in
control of a conversation. When talking he seems to say

?Now don?t think that my opinion on these matters is final, just because I?m stronger and more of a
man than you are.?

Tom doesn?t talk to people so much as he speaks to them. He tells Nick that he has a nice place,
rather than wait and be complimented on it. Additionally, when Nick first visits Tom?s house, he walks
in to the study, and sees Daisy, and Jordan sitting on the couch, looking indifferent. When Tom walks
into the room, he immediately takes control of the situation by slamming the window shut, because
he doesn?t want a breeze. Tom?s overbearing mannerisms don?t let him consider others opinions
with any merit, or see anyone else as an equal. He is especially unkind to Gatsby, and researches
his past in order to discover exactly how Gatsby makes him money, for the sole purpose of rubbing it
in Gatsby?s face. He also feels superior to Gatsby, because Tom inherited his money, and Gatsby
had to work for it. Tom causes his own downfall because he pushes everyone he meets underneath
him, and asserts himself in every situation. He then assumes that everything is fine, because he is in
charge.

Tom?s overbearing and arrogant characteristics are the determining forces in the book. If Tom was
able to see how he made Daisy feel, it is possible that he would have tried to restore his marriage
with her. If Tom had seen how he treated other people, and made them subordinate to himself he
may have tried to give other people a chance. Tom instead ignores that his marriage is crumbling,
and that people see him as forceful and overbearing. Tom?s personality, and character traits blind
him to the way he comes off towards people, and prove that no matter how rich you are, no matter
how happy you pretend to be, if you truly don?t care about others than you will never be happy.

Great Gatsby: Theme and character anlysis of Tom and Daisy

Uploaded by Gotskillz (2974) on Dec 20, 2004
The characters' search of their own identities and the struggle that ensues is the most suffusive
theme throughout The Great Gatsby . The fact that we never really know the characters, and the
corrupt immoral things they do, directly represent the 20's high society lifestyle. The characters
continued to cheat on their spouses, let money become their obsession, and debated the American
dream for the hopes of one day obtaining happiness. But the fact remains that they have no true
morals or ideals of themselves as individuals. These are a group of people who --no matter how
cocky and self- confident they seem-- have absolutely no idea of what they are doing (as many men
and women of the 20's do not). Tom and Daisy are two examples.

Daisy is a hospitable character who had a love for parties and tended to lose herself in them and the
drinking. Daisy once said, "What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon, and the day after that, and the
next thirty years?" This quote not only means she lives for one day at a time never thinking of the
future, but that she truly has no idea of what to do with herself. She is like loose change floating
around wandering from party to party, man to man, friend to friend, in a big house in East Egg with no
sense of purpose. She once attempted to plan something when she first reunited with Nick. She said,
"What'll we plan? What do people plan?" meaning she has never had to make decisions nor has she
had much responsibility. Not only does she have no purpose, she has no morals. She literally killed a
woman and went home to eat cold chicken. What more, her lover was killed and she left on a trip
missing his funeral. Show me a woman who has no morals or goals and I'll show you a woman who
is searching for her own identity.

Tom Buchanan is a small man hiding in a big house with an equally large ego. In fact, he once
remarked that women run around too much and meet the wrong kind of people. This statement is
both arrogant and ironic because he runs around with the wrong people, and women run around with
him- he being the wrong people. Also, when stating this he was most likely referring to his wife, and
subtly putting her down for her relationship with Gatsby in a most conceited way. Tom is not a caring
or sympathetic man. He did not attend his mistress's- Myrtle's- funeral. Tom cared a great deal about
his image. Enough to uncover the history and truth about his wife's lover, and openly embarass him
for it. Tom is so desperately an empty man that he believes he can define himself with exterior
belongings. He is trying to find his identity by looking for happiness in nice cars (his is a ridiculous
yellow luxury vehicle), money and a good woman- be it he has to cheat on his wife to do so. But what
about if the money runs out? What happens if his wife finds another lover also? or one of his women
kills the other? One day he will look himself in the mirror and not like what he sees, and only then can
he finally forget about the image and just be.

To best describe Daisy's, Tom's, and the 1920's high society's relentless quest for money and
aimlessness existence is Daisy and Tom's own relationship. They were once young lovers with a hold
on the world like their hold on eachother but that too tarnished like a gilded cup and saucer. Tom
once carried Daisy down from the punch owl so her feet wouldn't get wet. But the weight of time has
pulled at their love until Tom was seen as a racist man reading The Rise of Colored Empires who
depends on a mistress to fulfill his need of lust and to be apart from home life, leaving Daisy ignorant
and smiling. She hoped her daughter would be a fool of a girl so nothing would hurt her, a lesson she
learned from living with Tom. While their marriage seems to be falling apart Daisy finds a man from
her past- Gatsby-who has a heated desperation for her love- enough so to acquire a huge home and
beautiful shirts, and throw lavish parties at the hope she will attend to add to his facade. But not even
the people who gave up their own lives for Tom or Daisy could change them. For Nick. the eternal
observer with his unbiased opinions once wrote, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they
smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness
or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they made..."
Even with both spouses having affairs with a passion possibly more than the love Tom and Daisy
share, they stay together for the sole purpose of money.

In conclusion, The Great Gatsby asks the eternal question: what is the purpose of our lives? and Tom
and Daisy answer for the 1920's high society, "I don't know, but it has to do with money and lots of it."
Throughout Daisy and Tom's marriage they have grown and they are still growing, but the question
remains: who are they and what are they here for? Until these two can think of others before
themselves, not hold exterior belongings with such high repute, and stop all the reputations and
images that surround them, they will just be two random, conceited, rich people in a time dependent
on classes and will never be individuals

Wealth and Greed in the Great Gatsby

Uploaded by Cupcake475 on Dec 7, 2006
Wealth and Greed in the Great Gatsby

Wealth, greed and the problems that come from money are recurring themes in many stories,
including The Great Gatsby. This book revolves around the relationships that develop because of
money and the impact that money has on the characters and their behavior towards each other. In
The Great Gatsby, people have big houses, nice cars and a privileged lifestyle. At first money is the
entry to a lavish life, great parties, and a world of extravagance. Then in the end, it brings everyone
down. Money creates more problems than it is worth.

Jay Gatsby loves Daisy. She loves Jay Gatsby. Money gets in the way when Daisy tells Jay that he is
not rich enough for her. Gatsby spends years making the money by becoming a bootlegger. He
believes that this money would buy Daisy’s love, after all Daisy tells him that “rich girls don’t marry
poor boys.” Jay Gatsby became a very rich man only after being rejected by Daisy because he does
not have enough money. Gatsby wants Daisy so badly that he uses immoral and illegal ways to make
his money. The irony is that he chooses a life of immoral and illegal behavior to get a woman, who in
the end, he never gets. In fact, he looses everything, including his life.

Another person affected by the impact of money and greed is George Wilson, a man who lives in the
Valley Of Ashes, an industrial area in New York. This community is poverty stricken, a polluted
industrial wasteland very much the opposite of the lavish life of the Eggs, where Daisy and Gatsby
live. He owns a gas station and is married to Myrtle, Tom Buchanan’s lover. Myrtle becomes part of
Tom’s lavish life and is seduced by the money she sees Tom spending on his beautiful lifestyle. She
hopes to leave George but instead has a tragic accident. Myrtle runs into the street and is hit and
killed by Daisy who is driving Gatsby’s car. . George becomes enraged and kills Gatsby and then kills
himself. Unlike the rest of the characters in the story, George is not wealthy and corrupted by his
money and greed. However, unfortunately the wealth and greed of other people is his undoing. He
dies because of the other people’s need for money.

Gatsby’s parties can also be seen as a negative statement of the relationship of money, greed and
power on people and their relationships. Every weekend, Gastby threw huge parties to hopefully
attract Daisy. At the parties there were many people, most of whom were not invited and did not know
Gatsby at all. These people used Gatsby for his money. One man, Ewing Klipspringer, even stays
permanently at Gatsby’s house. It seems that they thought if they were at these parties, they would
be happy, rich and perfect. Of course, this is not the case. They are in fact leeches, who come to the
parties but don’t care at all about Gatsby. They don’t even come to his funeral, including Ewing
Klipspringer. He is not useful to them any more.

The Great Gatsby is a story about wealth and greed and what it does to relationships and
communities. At the end of the story, Myrtle and George die, Gatsby dies, Nick and everyone else
move back west to get away from the lives that were ruined by money. I think that money can corrupt.
Perhaps not to the extent shown in this book, with people dying, but maybe to the extent that
substance abuse, unhappy lives and affairs. Money is not terrible but the more money people have it
seems like the more problems in their lives.