Gatsby and Myrtle as an Addict of Ambition - Essay Example

Gatsby and Myrtle as an addict of Ambition Most individuals can be very ambitious in life. In most cases, ambitions are normally driven by a want to posses something or to reach a certain level. Ambition can thus be very fruitful but it also has its own disadvantages, especially in instances that an individual can go to the extremes just to achieve his/her desires. Therefore, the quote, “Ambition is a drug that makes its addict’s potential madmen,” is very applicable to Gatsby and Myrtle in the novel, “The Great Gatsby.” The character traits of Gatsby and Myrtle justify this quote. Gatsby madly wants to own Daisy and he will do anything just to ensure that she is pleased. He goes to the extent of acquiring wealth in very dishonest ways just to win Daisy’s love. Gatsbys way of acquiring his wealth is not straight forward. He gambles a lot and he has been involved in corruption cases. He even goes to the extent of venturing in bootlegging. He wants to be with Daisy just for the reason of her established wealth as seen from his referring her voice as, “Her voice is full of money.” His ambition of acquiring wealth to win Daisy over Tom is a good evidence of his addiction driving him mad as he claims it’s “the orgiastic future.” (Fitzgerald 189) For Myrtle, she has an ambition to be happy with another and not her husband George, therefore, she goes to the extremes of loving another man. She wants to be with a man who is wealthy and authoritative. She believes Tom is what she always has desired to have in life for a husband. She even stands Tom’s beating since to her this is equal to his masculinity. Her ambition of having someone like Tom for a husband has driven her mad with obsession. This can be proved by her being disappointed after their wedding with George when she says, “He borrowed somebodys best suit to get married in, and never told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out,” she goes ahead saying, “I gave it to him and then I lay down and cried...all afternoon,” to show that she never expected to marry a poor man (Fitzgerald 35). The level of Gatsby’s ambition driving him mad can be seen in the situation that he even goes to the extent of creating a fantasy world, whereby he is very rich and powerful. According to Gatsby, his definition of a wealthy American is through being an excessive consumer and having excess material wealth. He believes that dressing flamboyantly and owning a very huge mansion is the key to a happy life of which the narrator in the novel puts as “youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves,” (Fitzgerald 157). He also owns a house for his ambition to impress Daisy which Nick refers to as, “that huge incoherent failure of a house,” (Fitzgerald 188). It is therefore evident from the two characters that ambition can drive the person addicted to it mad. In these examples, both characters have shown how much their ambitions have driven their acts to be termed as wild and crazy acts. Gatsby’s love for Daisy Gatsby believes that all his ambitions in life are meant to get hold of Daisy’s attention. He does extremely weird things just to get Daisy’s attention. This is not love but obsession of wealth that Daisy has acquired over many years. Therefore, Gatsby does not really love Daisy but has his own intentions of being part of Daisy’s wealth,which ends tragically. Gatsby goes to the extent of wanting to own Daisy due to the wealth she owns and shamelessly thinks her to be part of the wealth he will own if he got hold of her. He even compares her value to the house that he owns. But his highly flaunted money is nothing to Daisy and can never win her love. He even goes to extremes, which can be noticed when the narrator says, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay, ” more so, he is not happy with his life but, “throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance she might show up at one of them,” (Fitzgerald 83). More of his intentions of fantasies can be seen from the narrators saying, “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy,” according to his thoughts, “it increased her value in his eyes,” (Fitzgerald 148). Thus, it excites him to be part of the many men who are pursuing Daisy and just like any other man he wants to prove his capabilities. He does not seem to fit onto the same upper class, to reach this state he believes he should use Daisy as part of his ambitions. Therefore, he has to hold parties, own aquaplanes of which were meant to win Daisy’s heart. This can be demonstrated when he loses Daisy’s attention from Nick’s statement, “His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one,” (Fitzgerald 98). His intentions can be made clear when he suggested, “Her voice is full of money.” It is therefore, evident that Gatsby intention towards Daisy was not love, but he can be seen to be concentrating more on what he would gain when he gets hold of Daisy of which everything ends tragically. It is clear that Gatsby only wants to belong to the rich class, where Daisy belongs. Gatsby’s dream has no chance Gatsby’s greatest dream is to be excessively wealthy to please Daisy. He lived a poor life and discovering ways to make money has made him believe that he can match Daisy’s dream. On the other hand, Tom and Daisy have lived the same life; more so, they have been brought up in very decent lifestyle of knowing money, therefore, Gatsby’s dreams have no chance in Daisy’s life. Both Tom and Daisy are members of American, established aristocracy of wealth. Therefore, both have tasted this lifestyle for a long period of time and do not believe in displaying conspicuous consumption. Tom was raised in a family where money was never a problem. This is similar to Daisy who was also brought up in a wealthy environment. Tom even at some point refers to Gatsby’s flamboyant dressing to be a “circus wagon” since he is used to wealth and can use it in a better way other than living a lavish lifestyle with drunken parties. Tom and Daisy hold the same perception due to the same environment that they were brought up in. Both have a connection as seen from the quote, “There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together,” (Fitzgerald 146). Tom and Daisy have had an honest way of acquiring their wealth. Their wealth is not based on criminal activities or illegal businesses like the way Gatsby enriches himself. Rather, they have accumulated wealth in a long period of time. A major contribution to their wealth is the fact that they were brought up in money and are still enjoying the old cycle of money. Gatsby may think that his dreams suit Daisy’s but his past life does not allow, “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people,” further he is seen never to have accepted this situation, “his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all,” (Fitzgerald 99). Both Daisy and Tom have lived a careless life since they have always believed that they can always escape from the mistakes they make by using money, which is not something that Gatsby would easily tolerate. He is used to a more careful life and Daisy’s carelessness can be evidenced when she says after delivering a girl, “I hope shell be a fool,” she further says, “thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,” (Fitzgerald 18).Both of the two married couples lead careless lives, and thus would never share the same dreams. Therefore, Gatsby has hopeless dreams of ever sharing his life with Daisy, as she can never accept his new unreliable discovered money. Instead, she prefers being with Tom and believes that they both have a good past and future together other than being with Gatsby. Works cited Bloom, Harold. F. Scott Fitzgeralds the Great Gatsby. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2006. Web. Bruccoli, Matthew J. F. Scott Fitzgeralds the Great Gatsby: A Literary Reference. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2002. Print. Fitzgerald, F S, and Michael E. Nowlin. The Great Gatsby. Peterborough, Ont: Broadview Press, 2007. Print. Fitzgerald, Francis S, and James L. W. West. Trimalchio: An Early Version of the Great Gatsby. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print. Fitzgerald, F S, and Davies D. Stuart. The Great Gatsby & the Diamond As Big As the Ritz. London: Collectors Library, 2005. Print. Greenberg, Nicki. The Great Gatsby. , 2007. Print. Lee, Virginia. F. Scott Fitzgeralds the Great Gatsby. Mentone, Vic: Insight Publications, 1997. Print. Piper, Henry D, and F S. Fitzgerald. Fitzgeralds the Great Gatsby: The Novel, the Critics, the Background. New York: Scribner, 1970. Print. Read More