How Does Fitzgerald Use Cars In The Great Gatsby

The most accurate representation of one’s character and morality is their actions. In the opulent neighborhoods of the East Egg and West Egg, the majority of characters act immorally and dishonestly, especially towards inferior counterparts living in the Valley of Ashes (Elmore 428). Characters in The Great Gatsby are defined by their actions behind the wheel; often, driving ability and cars indicate character's attitude towards life and their relationships. Fitzgerald often uses cars as a means of revealing “carelessness and materialism of his characters” (Lance 29). Fitzgerald consistently uses personification to link cars with the personality of its driver, further developing the connection between characters and their driving. In The Great

Early on, Fitzgerald explains Tom’s affair with Myrtle Wilson, a married woman from the Valley of Ashes. Additionally, Tom has had countless affairs and one night on Tom and Daisy’s honeymoon, Tom was accompanied by “one of the chambermaids in the Santa Barbara Hotel” (Fitzgerald 82). As Myrtle is significantly below Tom socially in society, she willingly cheats on her husband and takes part in excessive parties at Tom’s apartment in New York (Elmore 430). In one scene, Tom takes a call from Myrtle at his house while he is eating dinner with his wife, Daisy. After making such irresponsible decisions in his marriage, it is not surprising to find out that Tom is also a reckless driver. Nick relays a story about Daisy and Tom’s honeymoon in August of 1920 and claims that Tom “ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night and ripped a front wheel off his car” (Fitzgerald 82). Tom proves extremely careless in his driving along with his marriage with

Daisy is “revealed as the most careless of all the drivers” during the hit-and-run incident where she kills Myrtle Wilson (Lance 29). Before driving home from New York City, Daisy admits that “she was very nervous” (Fitzgerald 151) and is visibly distracted by Tom and Gatsby’s previous encounter. In addition to killing Wilson, Daisy employs various attempts to cover up her mistake, leaving Gatsby to suffer the ramifications of her actions. Daisy is able to get away with her actions as when she leaves the car that killed Wilson, she “recedes into the security of her social class” (Lance 30). The Buchanan's position in society and wealth allows Daisy to flee the West Egg and avoid all responsibility for her brash decisions. Daisy’s inability to take responsibility for her actions leads to yet another death, as George Wilson murders Gatsby in an attempt to avenge his wife’s death. Daisy’s carelessness behind the wheel mirrors the recklessness in which she leaves Tom to be with Gatsby for a short period of time. Daisy “uses [Gatsby] to appease her own feeling of inadequacy after Tom’s numerous affairs and quickly discards him when his existence threatens her own” (Lance 29). When Daisy understands that she cannot be with both Tom and Gatsby, she leaves with Tom for the West without even speaking to Gatsby. The same carelessness and