Daisy, the girl whose "voice was full of money," whose "inexhaustible charm"(127) derived from her status, is an ideal. The idealized woman is not real, and that is the very essence of her loveliness—she is perfect, and thus unattainable. Gatsby had "committed himself to the following of a grail"(156). This chase for an intangible dream propelled him to success but also led him to his demise. He set himself up for failure in dedicating his life to achieving an unreachable goal.
Buchanan’s opinion, the only way to survive is through a wealthy man. This exposes one of Daisy’s many weaknesses: her dependence on others. When she comes to the realization that Gatsby would have given her more than Tom, she begins to cry: “‘They're such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I've never seen such – such beautiful shirts before’” (Fitzgerald 118-119). His clothing symbolizes the wealth and happiness Daisy could have had, which is why she is distraught when she acknowledges Gatsby’s success.
“A different species.” To what extent is America presented as divided along class lines in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Great Gatsby? As proven by the age of McCarthyism and the subsequent Cold War, Marxist and American ideology are fundamentally contradictory to one another in their beliefs and ideals. Nevertheless, a Marxist literary theory applied to American literature is key to uncovering Capitalist society’s dissatisfaction with itself, and exposes a “dark underbelly” to the supposedly ‘Golden 20s’. Both The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire, represent the class divide as inciting jealousy, hope, and despair in those wishing to achieve the symbolic American dream, whilst additionally questioning the morality of the dream itself. Interestingly, the two works are set either side of the Great Depression, each an iconic epitome of the respective classes they portray.
In a fairy tale, the American dream may be possible, but in the real world, many other factors come into play that affects the dream. For example, corruption and greed are two things that give the idea that an excess of money or an excessive need for money, only causes the dream to be farther from reach. When money is the main concern in one's life, one may do anything and everything to acquire wealth, disregarding the consequences that come along with certain actions. In the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Great Gatsby, there is a central theme that the American dream has been destroyed by crass materialism. This is illustrated through the themes of fabrication of self, attitudes toward women, and the destruction of the American dream.
As the novel proceeds, it is quickly revealed that the reality they live differs from their appearance to their fellow high society members. Firstly, Gatsby’s wealth is not genuine because he does illegal activities to distinguish himself from the poor. Secondly, Daisy is not an ideal wealthy housewife because she is deceiving and unfaithful. Lastly, Tom wants to have the perfect image of a happy family but his lust prevents him from actually having one. Humankind want to be something they are not so which causes reality to be an
Myrtle Wilson and George Wilson try to find their American identity through wealth and status. Both of them do not like where they are living or how they are living so they do as much as possible to change their situations. Myrtle Wilson captures the quintessence of the American identity in the 1920’s by cheating on her husband with the wealthy, Tom Buchanan, thinking that she will gain riches. Myrtle then tries to act the part of a wealthy woman by dressing in nicer clothes because in the 1920’s, the clothing one wears, is synonymous to one success according to Jacqueline Herald. When Tom Buchanan first takes Nick Carraway to meet Myrtle she contains “no facet or gleam of beauty”(Fitzgerald 25), but as soon as she is about the city with Tom she buys a moving-picture magazine, ice cream, and a small flask of perfume.
In the end, however, it becomes “the orgastic future that year by year recedes from us” (Fitzgerald 171). Fitzgerald deliberately uses green to display the corruption of materialism by characterizing Daisy as a woman who seeks material wealth out of greed in sacrifice for true love. Gatsby understands that in order to attain Daisy, he must obtain wealth, even if it means shady business. Ultimately chasing this green light, and having any hope to attain Daisy, means chasing the
They consider her a burden, but have found a use for her, marry her off to the Mr Hathaway so they could keep him as a business partner. Alice Kingsleigh, on the other hand comes from a wealthy family. She is nineteen years old and the expectation of the society in which she lives expects her to get married, an unwanted marriage. Emily Grierson is the final heroine. She is much like Alice in the sense that she comes from a wealthy family, but there is one key difference from the other two heroines, her father does not want her to get married.
Den, Barbara’s awkward and shy ex-lover, reappears in her life and provides a route to wealth for Barbara (in her own eyes). Her dogged determination and persistence to better herself sees Den as a way of paying for a deportment diploma to assist her with gaining employment at the swanky new hotel being built in town. Due to the negative circumstances her character is placed in, it has resulted in her deserting her mentally challenged daughter, Verge. Economic rationalism seemed to have only negative implications on Barbara’s life as she constantly struggles with relationships and self worth. Whilst focusing on the central metaphor – ‘diving for pearls’ it is made clear that for Barbara, pearls are not represented through spiritual wealth, rather economic wealth.
In the end realizing their greatest flaw was seeking refuge in the American dream which was the cause of their downfall. One of Gatsby’s and Willy Lomans greatest flaws that lead to their downfall is the way these characters portray their image and wealth toward others. Gatsby’s disposition to have extravagant parties regardless of the fact that he knows no one, just to be known as rich, is a clear exemplar of trying to obtain a popular reputation for himself “Do you know him?” “He’s just a man named Gatsby.” (Fitzgerald37) This enumerates the fact that even in the eyes to his quests Gatsby wasn’t of any