What Does Driving Mean In The Great Gatsby

Improved Essays
Driving is an important symbol in the great gatsby. Fitzgerald uses driving as a metaphor for life. The way Fitzgerald uses this metaphor reveals the world of the rich. An example of how driving is used as a metaphor for life is when Nick described his birthday as a new road. Jay Gatsby threw a party in chapter 3. Two drunken men was leaving the party when a wheel came off the car. In my opinion, this scene shows the world of the rich. They go out and party then drive home. However, their carelessness leads them into life risking situations.
Nick and Jordan had a conversation in chapter 3, in which Nick calls Jordan “a rotten driver.” Jordan expresses to Nick that it does not matter if she is a bad driver until she meets another bad driver,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Great Gatsby” is considered by many to be one of the greatest American novels of all time. F. Scott Fitzgerald brought this story to life using colors as symbols. In this case, symbolism means creatively using colors to add emotions and depth to descriptions in the story. Fitzgerald used colors such as white, gold/yellow, gray and blue to highlight the ups and downs of the 1920’s.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Great Gatsby The roaring twenties were known for an expansive gap between the classes; the upper class invulged themselves with extravagant parties, complete with flappers, banned liquor, and live music, while the lower class had to prioritize their time between work and more work. Those who were considered upper class lived a luxurious, carefree lifestyle and enjoyed these aspects of the time period to the fullest. However, this lifestyle led many to make careless decisions. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of The Great Gatsby, many characters exhibited this behavior by making choices that would be considered careless. Daisy and Tom neglected their marriage, Jay Gatsby mindlessly spent his money on everything and everyone, and Jordan felt as though she was above being careful.…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Automobile wrecks and carelessness represent the recklessness that the rich go about their lives with in this book. An example of automobile wrecks symbolizing this is when Daisy hit Myrtle with the car. Nick never mentions Daisy having any remorse for the act and Gatsby is more worried about Daisy being caught rather than the life that has been lost. The wreck symbolizes how, despite what Daisy does, Gatsby is so madly in love with her that he’ll protect her by all means. Her carelessness is overlooked by Gatsby to the point he sees her as flawless.…

    • 170 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One can define deception as the action of deceiving someone by concealing or misinterpreting the truth. Deception is present in the novel, The Great Gatsby, in the plot, characters, and setting. Though some argue that the themes in the novel are not still appropriate, this idea of perception versus reality is relevant in today’s society as well. Relevant in the 1920s as well as present day, the theme of perception versus reality exposes itself through corrupt lies, the American dream of wealth, and fake appearances. First, corrupt perceptions shade the truth and can produce drastic outcomes.…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Great Gatsby as part of the AP Curriculum? "Is this book interesting?", "Will my students enjoy it?" , "Is this novel truly AP Level?". These are just a few of the many questions that run through a teacher 's head when he or she is selecting a novel for their AP English Class. AP stands for Advanced Placement, and the whole objective of an Advanced Placement English Class is to give students a glimpse of what a college class is like, but more so to prepare them for the Advanced Placement English Exam.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Life something so important can be meaningless without a purpose, some may never find it, some live the dream everyday. We search for the perfect one just to let them slip through never being an us, time something of the essence working against us looking to find a way. The eyes of life watch us as we pursue our idea of the perfect life, our very own moves being watched and judged. Love something we find in different ways even in the midst of conflict and strife, chances we are all scared of the outcome we all just need to be nudged.…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gatsby And On The Road

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Lost Generation of the 1920s and The Beat Movement of the 1950s were literary movements that sprung from American post-war disillusionment. Both of these groups tested literary convention and were considered bohemian because of their rejection of what they considered to be “inauthentic and prepackaged” lives (Huddleston 1). The similarity between these two movements is reflected in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, texts which both explore the unattainability of the American Dream.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    (122). In both of these quotes the girls are shown to be very delicate, they are not shown in a way that mirrors their personality. Nick is very clear about Jordan’s dishonesty and blatantly says that “She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage…”(63). Nick knows that Jordan is a cheater and a liar but he still chooses to spend time with her, this could be due to her pure appearance.…

    • 1368 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Carelessness is the behavior of a neglection that one many portray in their decision. In the 1920s, people were reckless and did not care what the turnout would be. They would go to a party and have one too much drinks; go behind the wheel and get into a car when they know they were unable to drive is one of many examples of carelessness. The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is not only based on romance and love, but it foreshadows the lack of responsibility and self control these characters have in the novel. Carelessness is pivotal in the character’s lives because they are blinded from reality; they are only living through their wealth which causes them to do wreckage to their lives.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This is when Nick realizes that she was involved in the golfing scandal, but he pushes that thought aside. He even sees that Jordan tends to avoid clever and shrewd men because she wants to be able to lie, but Nick doesn 't care about this. He says that "Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply" (Fitzgerald, 104) which is not only a sexist comment, but also shows how little Nick cares about what really matters in a stable relationship. He does not truly value honesty, even though he calls himself an honest person. Nick is lying to himself by saying that he and Jordan are a stable couple, mostly because he is lonely and tired of being alone.…

    • 1388 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Symbolism is used to express the deeper meaning of something that seems ordinary, and often times they contribute to the novel on a significant basis. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the use of symbolism is prevalent throughout the novel. One of the most important symbols that appears frequently in this literature are the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. There are many reasons as to why they exist. Because this book includes many aspects of the nineteen-twenties American Dream, this symbol is defies the realism of it.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He uses Gatsby’s tragic downfall to illustrate just how dangerous the wealthy’s recklessness can be. Through Nick and Jordan’s conversation Fitzgerald states his thoughts on the matter quite strongly: “Either you ought to be more careful, or you oughtn’t to drive at all” (58). Fitzgerald basically states those who reckless go through life should not live. Through Nick’s departure from New York, Fitzgerald sending the message to Americans everywhere to stay away from those who are born into wealth or they will run right over…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Symbolic imagery is an affective literary device F. Scott Fitzgerald’s used in The Great Gatsby. Significant Recurring symbols reveal the underlying inner thoughts and emotions of characters as well as Fitzgerald’s own perception about plot events. Death and decay, light and dark, nature, and eyes are all symbols of significance that appear repeatedly. The symbol of Death and decay reveals Gatsby’s diminishing dream of hope as the novel progresses; as well it plays a part in foreshadowing the tragic events in the end of The Great Gatsby.…

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Cars meant an important part of the Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby. The only cars that were discussed in The Great Gatsby was Nick old Dodge, Tom blue coupe and Gatsby Rolls-Royce. The other cars were left in the reader's imagination. The 20’s was a time where cars were invented. Cars was a form of showing that one was living the American dream.…

    • 101 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Coming from The Great Gatsby written by Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s parties to symbolize something that the readers would never expect. Gatsby’s parties are symbolized at the beginning of the book as rowdy parties where the rich have lots of fun by drinking and spreading rumors. By the end of the book, Fitzgerald had completely changed the meaning of the parties to that Gatsby held them to show off his wealth to Daisy and so she could come and see him. By doing this, it can be known that the rich were very selfish in the 1920s and only wanted to benefit themselves. Fitzgerald himself begins the story by showing the readers what many people during the 1920s considered to be a party.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays