The characters are irresponsible dreamers – The Great Gatsby

The commodious Gatsby is an effective novel in epitomising the relentless struggle of many to achieve the Ameri ass woolgather. The economic boom and the radical change in society following the First World War whitethorn have contributed largely to the idea of the American dream. Fitzgerald portrayed in The Great Gatsby the stark contrast between the rich and the poor whilst revealing a common similarity a hope in attaining the American dream. The novel follows the dreams of members of entirely separate neighborly classes and encapsulates the thwarted dreams of two the prosperous and the underprivileged, through and through immoral and unreliable body processs.Overall, it can be said that The Great Gatsby summarises the way in which societys definition of the American dream morphed from that of achieving happiness to acquiring monetary effects. Daisy Buchanan can be regarded as one of the foremost irresponsible dreamers in the novel. Her personality appears to reflect that of a childs. She often acts fickle, vernal and is constantly seeking attention. An utilization of this is on page 15 where Nick mentions Ive heard it said that Daisys murmuration was only to make people lean toward her. Her childish attributes may have contributed to her irresponsible nature.After group meeting Gatsby, Daisy begins to view everything in a romantic light. She whispers to Gatsby about wanting to just get one of those knock clouds and put you in it and push you around (page 101). Her consanguinity with Gatsby seems to have a tinge of fantasy, almost as if she is more interested in getting away from reality than being in a relationship with him. Daisys routine with Gatsby can be said to be irresponsible as she is both a wife and a mother. Also, her decision to have an affair might possibly have stemmed from the anger and green-eyed monster she felt in knowing about Toms infidelity.The death of Myrtle and the events that followed showed readers just how irrespons ible Daisys character is. notwithstanding that ultimately, Daisy was responsible for the death of Myrtle, she appe bed unremorseful in exit blame to Gatsby. This is evident when Fitzgerald writes But she and Tom had departed away, early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them (pg 171). This line immediately shows readers that Daisy may have felt little ill-doing at leaving Gatsby behind to deal with the aftermath of Myrtles death.The baggage that the pair had taken with them implies that they are leaving for a prolonged amount of era and likewise that Tom and Daisy may have spent time planning their leave. Daisys refusal of accepting her part in Myrtles death shows elements of moral decay of the 20s society. On a large scale, it can be suggested that Daisy and Tom embody the affluent old aristocracy, a society that could effectively overturn responsibility for their actions through their shield of abundant wealth and high status.Daisy, in particular reflects the quintess ential example of the American dream- she had inherited her wealth, is married to an equally wealthy man and rotates in the circles of the upper class society. On the other hand, readers can argue that at the end of the novel, Daisy made the responsible decision of staying with Tom, saving her conjugation and her daughter and can therefore be forgiven for her previous actions. Myrtles character represents the average working class citizen of America. However, her affair with Tom grants her a few of the luxuries that other ordinary working class citizens would not be qualified to attain.For example, she says Id like to get one of those police dogs (page 33). This extract shows that with the advantage of Toms wealth, Myrtle can afford to be fickle. Her irresponsibility lies with her belief of a rise in social standing through her relationship with Tom. Her posture to others of her own class, changes, perhaps signifying a corruption of innocence. When Tom and Myrtle host a party in th eir apartment, Myrtle acts in a patronising manner towards Mrs McKee, rejecting her compliments and offering Mrs McKee her clothes (page 37 and 42).Fitzgerald may have written it to show that the American dream was not necessarily morally justified, for when Myrtle achieved formulas of the American dream wealth she behaved haughtily. However, readers may argue that Myrtle was not irresponsible, as she was only pursuing the disaster for a better life. Myrtle may have seen her affair with Tom as a message of obtaining this better life and so her actions were justifiable. Her death represents the slow disintegration of the American dream.Its abruptness could possibly epitomise the abrupt economic boom (and later the abrupt economic bust), and the end of the American dream for both Myrtle and the working class society. In Gatsby, it is clear Fitzgerald has embodied the true American dream. Gatsbys climb from subaltern beginnings to owning a huge mansion, a successful business and a Rolls Royce displays to readers the ideal form of the American dream. However, it is also apparent that Gatsby acts in irresponsible ways. His chief aim appeared to be to win back Daisy.Gatsby says on page 117 Cant repeat the past? ( ) of course you can This belief showed readers that Gatsby was perhaps in denial that Daisy had moved on from him, and had a separate life from him. He had toiled for vanadium years to be able to present to Daisy a worthy partner in himself, arguably an irresponsible act as it was inevitable that after five years, Daisy would have moved on. Fitzgerald also ties in the theme of time with Gatsby. Fitzgerald writes the measure took this moment to tilt perilously at the pressure of his head (page 93).This line could represent Gatsbys strong conviction in repeating the past, whereas the clock tilting dangerously could perhaps be a dangerous indication of the tragedy to come. Another form of Gatsbys irresponsibility is in his strong loyalty to Daisy, d espite the fact that she is married to some other man. Ironically, his loyalty to her proved to be his destruction as he takes the blame for Myrtles death and therefore was murdered by Wilson. Like Myrtle, Gatsby proves to be a victim of the American dream, and like Myrtle, his death could perhaps represent the disintegration of the American dream.Additionally, Fitzgeralds elaborated description of the preparation of Gatsbys parties at the beginning of Chapter 3 could perhaps have been to illustrate Gatsbys extravagance in trying to win over Gatsby. This could perhaps be regarded as wasteful and irresponsible of Gatsby by readers. However, it can be argued that Gatsby was influenced by his love for Daisy and therefore his extravagance was justified. It is suggested in the novel that Gatsby made his wealth through engaging in criminal activities.However, as it is not directly mentioned, it cannot entirely be regarded as another of his irresponsible actions. In general, it can be sa id that Gatsbys irresponsibility stemmed from his pursuit of Daisys love, and so readers are often more empathetic towards him than any other character in the novel. Moreover, Gatsbys representation of the American dream appeared to be the only one that did not centralise on monetary gain another aspect that draws sympathy from readers on his death. To an extent, it can be agreed that the characters are irresponsible dreamers.Readers however, may be at a disagreement over which character holds the biggest responsibilities. Daisy can be seen as one of the most irresponsible characters as she played a great role in the death of Myrtle and therefore her action had a greater consequence. The American dream also plays a part in the irresponsibility of characters as it is often their pursuit of their dreams that leads them to make immoral and irresponsible decisions. Fitzgeralds depiction of the roaring twenties and the unprecedented dissemination of wealth revealed an alarming aftermat h of social and moral decay.