Theme Of Destruction In The Great Gatsby

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Destruction Fee As Jay Gatsby attempts to win over his golden girl, he is oblivious to the fact that he is hurting himself and the people he cares about along the way. Not only is Gatsby blind to not see the incongruity of his goal, but he fails to realize that the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, has other aspirations for her ideal life that Gatsby will never be able to fulfill. Much like the way Gatsby thinks and acts, Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson struggle to be mollified with what they already have. These naïve hopes of a textbook life cause all of the key characters in The Great Gatsby to cause hurt and destruction. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fictional novel, symbolism is utilized to further articulate the reoccurring theme that …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald intertwines relationships into The Great Gatsby as symbols to epitomize the anchors that drag down marriages and tear apart lives that most people would appreciate. For instance, Tom’s decision to cheat on his wife, Daisy, causes his marriage with her to be doubted. On the other side of this rendezvous, is a woman who wants to be a part of something that she does not realize she can never be a part of. The mistress and cheating wife, Myrtle Wilson, longs to marry a rich man and be a part of the coveted Secret Society. Due to the fact that her husband lies about being rich, she chose to attempt to build a serious relationship with Tom Buchanan. As soon as she found out that George simply borrows a suit for their wedding, she disproves of him. She is not aware that Tom does not want their fling to escalate any farther than a meaningless association on the side of his marriage, because he still has great respect for Daisy. This greed, of Tom trying to make his life consist of a marriage and a voluptuous woman on the side, causes emotional damage for Myrtle because it symbolizes that her dream is officially impossible since she is trapped in the valley of ashes . Not only does this cause emotional damage for Myrtle, but it physically hurts her in one situation. For instance, Nick explains, “making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald 37). This rash move by Tom is driven by his intentions to fulfill the void he has for his personal needs that he is not receiving from his wife. He then, inflicts physical abuse on Myrtle. Not only does this impactful relationship cause Myrtle pain, but it causes Daisy ache as well when she realizes that her marriage is falling apart since Tom has a mistress. Additionally, the relationship that Tom and Myrtle have has the power to ruin George Wilson’s version of the American Dream. His dream is to move

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