The Great Gatsby Essay Example
QUESTION: "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."
How did Tom and Daisy exemplify the quote and what were the consequences of their actions?
The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic reflection on America in the 1920s, but mainly focuses on the disintegration of what the American dream was in an era of untold wealth and prosperity. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s era as an era of corrupted social and moral values--which is shown in its overwhelming cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. The reckless joyfulness that led to decadent parties and wild jazz music--embodied in The Great Gatsby by the extravagant parties Gatsby throws every Saturday night--ultimately caused the corruption of the American dream, as money and pleasure became more important than moral values and noble goals. Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, many characters played their roles as either using another person or people, or being used by people. Tom and Daisy are guilty of being users in this novel. Nick, George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson are all victims of being used by others while Gatsby seems to fits into both of these categories. A line that exemplifies what they lived for is taken from a quote by Nick Carraway, the narrator--it states, "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" (Page 181). This line states that it was their wealth that gave them this ability to walk all over people.
Tom Buchanon was Daisy's wealthy husband who had a high school legacy as a lineman in college. He was powerfully built and coming from a socially solid old family and was an arrogant, hypocritical
How did Tom and Daisy exemplify the quote and what were the consequences of their actions?
The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic reflection on America in the 1920s, but mainly focuses on the disintegration of what the American dream was in an era of untold wealth and prosperity. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s era as an era of corrupted social and moral values--which is shown in its overwhelming cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. The reckless joyfulness that led to decadent parties and wild jazz music--embodied in The Great Gatsby by the extravagant parties Gatsby throws every Saturday night--ultimately caused the corruption of the American dream, as money and pleasure became more important than moral values and noble goals. Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, many characters played their roles as either using another person or people, or being used by people. Tom and Daisy are guilty of being users in this novel. Nick, George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson are all victims of being used by others while Gatsby seems to fits into both of these categories. A line that exemplifies what they lived for is taken from a quote by Nick Carraway, the narrator--it states, "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" (Page 181). This line states that it was their wealth that gave them this ability to walk all over people.
Tom Buchanon was Daisy's wealthy husband who had a high school legacy as a lineman in college. He was powerfully built and coming from a socially solid old family and was an arrogant, hypocritical