The need to have a purpose is one of the most powerful forces felt by humanity and has driven human survival for thousands of years. The Lost Generation lost their sense of purpose in life after the colossal expense of human life they witnessed during the First World War. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a story of the lives of the Lost Generation and their struggles with their need to have a purpose. The characters in The Great Gatsby symbolic of the Lost Generation demonstrate the human need to have a purpose in life. Jordan Baker’s characterization and actions demonstrate humanity’s craving for a purpose. Jordan was part of the Lost Generation because of her reckless lifestyle and lack of caring for other human beings. As …show more content…
This can be seen when Nick tries to change the topic of conversation and Tom says, “It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (12). Tom espoused these ideas because, despite all of his wealth, he lacked a purpose in life. Like Jordan Baker, Tom adopted the purpose of making himself better than others in order to attempt to fulfill the human need for a purpose. Without this idea to think about and support, the fact that he had no real purpose in life would have caught up to him and Tom would have been lost in the world. His racism and support for segregation were a result of his need to have a purpose in life. In addition, Tom’s affair with Myrtle was caused by his need to distract himself from the need for a purpose. This can be inferred from when Tom said, “Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back” (131). Tom’s description of his affairs demonstrate that he never stopped loving Daisy but that he simply grew bored with domestic life. The life he had and his lack of purpose crept up behind him as he grew bored, and in order to continue his distraction from his lack of purpose, Tom began the affair. The entertainment it provided and the thrill of having an affair combined to distract Tom from his lack of purpose in life. The need to have a purpose was so strong that he began …show more content…
This can be seen when she stopped waiting for Gatsby because “she wanted her life shaped now, immediately - and the decision must be made by some force… that was close at hand” (151). Daisy’s life at her home in Louisville became increasingly tense after the war as she lost her purpose in life and Gatsby would not return to distract her. She felt compelled from within to find a way forward through life to prevent her lack of purpose from reaching her. Tom successfully distracted her, so she married him rather than waiting for Gatsby. Daisy’s decision to leave her love for another man demonstrates the strength of the human desire to have a purpose. Furthermore, Daisy’s decision to go along with Tom’s plan and allow Wilson to kill Gatsby exemplifies the power of the desire to have a purpose. This can be seen from Nick’s description of his view of Daisy and Tom, which was that “there was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together” (145). The day after Nick saw them conspiring, Gatsby was killed by Wilson, who somehow found out that Gatsby owned the yellow car. Daisy’s agreement with Tom’s idea to have Gatsby killed demonstrates her lack of value for human life. In addition, it shows the recklessness with which Daisy lived, which was a symptom of her not having a purpose in life. Daisy’s
Tom functions under the illusion that Daisy not only loves him now, but has always loved him and been completely devoted to him. Daisy does admit that she once loved him, but he was not her first choice; Gatsby was. Tom is also under the illusion that Daisy will never leave him. He has an ongoing, almost public affair with Myrtle but still wants to be devoted to Daisy and demands her devotion to him. Tom feels as if he will never lose anything: his money, Daisy, or his social status.
Daisy's greed can best be seen in her choice of a husband, and in the circumstances
Her only profession is finding ways to keep her husband satisfied. So, that he should procure whatever she currently desires. The constant state of leisure that surrounds her everyday life gets too boring for Daisy. She seeks new, exciting, and passionate beginnings in her life. After all, Daisy Buchannan always gets what she wants. When Jay Gatsby finds himself reacquainted with his lost love, Daisy takes this opportunity to entertain her presently dull lifestyle. Their escapades all suited Daisy, until Gatsby presented Daisy with an ultimatum. She had to tell Tom she never loved him, and then she can run away to live happily with a man who adores her. The idea seemed romantic, until Tom caught on to Daisy’s deception. Of course he would still want her, and he made a few convincing arguments to keep Daisy from leaving him. Daisy left for the Buchannan’s house with Gatsby feeling conflicted and confused about Tom’s promise of a better marriage. In her disgruntled state, Daisy wound up killing Tom’s mistress in a hit-and-run car accident, a true show of irony. She didn’t even stop to see if the person she hit was alright, and she honestly didn’t care. Daisy continued her way home, because her relationship was more important than the death of a human
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:
She became used to him being unfaithful to her that she suggests to him after leaving him during Gatsby wild party “ and if you want to take down any addresses here’s my little gold pencil” (105). Tom and Myrtle relationship caused problems more in Myrtle life rather than Tom’s because unlike Tom’s wide, Wilson was unaware about her unfaithfulness and reacted way differently by becoming sick. In Nick’s perspective, he explains, “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick” (124). Wilson behaves in way by having her locked in a room until he gets the car to move away but soon enough for jealousy to strike among Myrtle about Tom and his wife which later causes her death. Her death occurred because of the greatly amount of envy she has towards Daisy and her lifestyle with Tom. The feelings that she felt showed upon her by having “…one emotion after another crept into her face like objects into a slowly developing picture” (124). This single small affair between Tom and Myrtle became something bigger than expected by a heart broken husband, dishonesty, and death among a mistress. This crime is much relatable to many affairs in the world that ends really bad divorces and trust issues from the dishonesty from their significant
When someone already has everything they could ever ask for, they’re still going to want more. Something to work for, or else life becomes boring, as Daisy points out many times in the novel. When both men she loves are threatening each other and fighting for her fondness, she’s realized what she’s done wrong. She’s fallen into the same trap as Myrtle, being stuck between two men, but she still has feelings for Tom. “I saw them in Santa Barbara when they came back
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Symbolism is what makes a story complete. In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald cleverly uses symbolism. Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing. characters wear. There are three main symbols used in The Great Gatsby, they are The East and West Egg, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, and the eyes of Dr.T.J. Eckleburg.
out towards a green light. At the time it is not revealed to us that this
Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby - Symbolism and the Truth That Lies Between
Secrets, lies, and deception are what wind through this classic. In The Great Gatsby, it starts with knowing one thing and then learning about another that contradicts the first. With the mystery behind every action and the roles all the symbols play, The Great Gatsby can teach a lot to a reader. The most that is taught comes from two great symbols, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg and Owl Eyes.
Later approaching the tragedy of of the book, Tom displays another act of sub-human behavior, nonchalantly brushing off his affairs, “And what’s more I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.”(201). Tom in a sense...
The Great Gatsby is one of the most renowned books known to mankind. A story about a man’s quest to fit into a society built for the rich whilst wooing a childhood crush may seem extremely simple and straightforward, however, the mystery is not behind the plot, but rather, it is in the writing itself. The words F. Scott Fitzgerald used were chosen with such delicacy, one cannot even hope to assume that anything was a mere coincidence. The book is laced with intricate strands of symbolism bound together by a single plot. One of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s more major themes is the use of locations. The importance of location as symbols are further expressed through the green light at the end of the dock as well as the fresh, green breast of the new world.
In novels, the use of symbols makes the story interesting and essential to the readers. Symbols are messages that the author uses to communicate with the reader for a deeper understanding, although sometimes it can only be discovered if analyzed. Fitzgerald connects the different symbols throughout the novel to pinpoint an elaborate meaning towards the story yet it does indicate a pleasant meaning. A symbol such as “color” or “money” can be less complex than it seems. Whereas a symbol as complicated as the “eye” can mean more than it’s suggested for. Throughout The Great Gatsby symbolism represent color, the existence of eyes and money.
" The Great Gatsby" is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this novel is considered one of the classics of American literature. The novel is set in Long Island 's North Shore in New York City during the 1920s. Nick Carraway, who is the narrator is a young Ivy league Midwesterner who moves to Long Island, he is fascinated by his neighbor Jay Gatsby who has a party at his mansion every weekend. Nick receives an invite to one of Gatsby’s parties, he attends and asks around about Gatsby soon realizes that most of the people don’t even know about Gatsby or have ever seen him. Nick finally meets Gastby and is drawn into Gatsby 's circle, meaning that he learns more about Gatsby and his past etc. Daisy Buchanan is Nick 's second cousin once
He becomes enraged and comes back to his wife. After Daisy kills Myrtle they fleet together, neither claiming any responsibility. for her death. This all shows that Tom is leading a purposeless life with no long-term. goals or dreams. Daisy, who is born and marries to wealth, also has no real values or purpose in life.