Carelessness In The Great Gatsby Essay

Gatsby: When Wealth, Carelessness, and Automobiles Collide As a reappearing image in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, driving has become heavily involved with the presentation of one of the most important themes throughout the novel. The abilities of the wealthy upper class born into money, against those who were forced to work into the wealthy class. The transport of characters, as well as the carelessness and accidents that occur during such transport, indicates the significant distinction between both sides of the wealthy class. The lives of the characters from both sides have come to be influenced greatly by which division of class they have come to represent. Driving has become a symbol for life, representing each side of the wealthy …show more content…
A connection to this idea is made through the use of chauffeurs. For an individual to have the ability to employ a chauffeur, would imply that individual has accumulated an amount of wealth. Fitzgerald uses the symbol of a chauffeur to demonstrate the autonomy, or lack thereof, of an individual, demonstrating the possibility that the accumulation of wealth may suppress the abilities of an individual. Jay Gatsby is a major link to this thought. Gatsby is an employer of a chauffeur, as we find out in Chapter III when the chauffeur crosses the yard to Nick’s home, yet we never find any mention of Gatsby being driven anywhere. We do however, find mention that Gatsby himself drives cars throughout the novel. He is a self-made man who has learned to take care of himself just as he had been while working towards reaching a high standing in society. He wishes to be in control of his own life, so he has little need for a chauffeur to drive him anywhere. Gatsby’s representation of the class that needed to work for their position in society is truly great. His life has become so accustomed to having to survive and thrive for himself, that it makes him a person of true carefulness rather than