Jasmine Yang Block G

November 7, 2013

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy they smashed up things and
creatures and then retreated back into their money of their vast carelessness, or
whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess
they had made...Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year
by year recedes before us. It eluded us... And one fine morning we beat on,
boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. (Chapter 9)
This quotation captures the essence of the novel The Great Gatsby as F. Scott
Fitzgerald illustrates that Gatsbys optimism is useless against individuals who are
callous and immoral. Specifically, Tom and Daisy are careless people because they
are both responsible for Gatsbys death. Toms immoral behaviour as he cheats on
Daisy with Myrtle and Daisys refusal to take responsibility for killing Myrtle in
Gatsbys car, bring about the protagonists sad end. Without any grief, Daisy
retreat[s] back into a life full of delicacy and extravagance as if nothing happened
and she feels it is natural that Gatsby should take the blame for the death of Myrtle.
Daisys dishonesty is shameful and shows her depraved character. Fitzgerald also
reveals that extremely wealthy people like Tom and Daisy had no problem hiding
behind their money and connections and continued to live as if entire lives had not
been destroyed. Both of them [smash] up other peoples lives; they use people like
objects and discard them until the objects no longer serve a purpose. Fitzgerald
reflects through this quotation the decayed values of the wealthiest people in the
decadent 1920s. In fact, people like Tom and Daisy only desire to live a life of
pleasure. As a result, Fitzgerald uses a cynical tone to remind readers that this
carelessness or materialistic desire will eventually cause people to lose their
morality and kindness. Unlike Daisy and Tom, Gatsby cares more about love than
wealth, and he only accumulates wealth in order to get closer to his love, Daisy. He
believes in the green light, which represents his hope of winning Daisys love.
However, his love blinds him from the reality. Daisy is callous and cares more about
money and status than about him and Gatsby cannot see that she will never leave
Tom. Thus, there is a sense of bitterness in Fitzgeralds tone as he reminds the readers
to stop and wonder about the dreams they chase before acting on them. Hence, this
quotation captures the essence of the novel because it reveals peoples loss of morality
in search for luxury in the 1920s and informs readers that one needs to realize the
futility of chasing idealistic dreams as too much optimism can lead to misery.