Irresponsibility in the Great Gatsby
A responsible marriage is when both sides of the relationship take responsibility for their actions, for one another and most importantly are not having affairs with others. When there is lack of responsibility, things are at risk to be destroyed or lost. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald all of the marriages fail to show any signs of responsibility through their actions. We see three main relationships throughout the novel that fail to act in a responsible manner. Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Tom and Myrtle, and Daisy and Gatsby.
Daisy and Tom are both extremely irresponsible. Tom’s irresponsible persuasion essentially leads to Myrtle’s death. Daisy does not take any responsibility for her actions which lead to Gatsby’s death. Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s irresponsibility in their relationships ultimately leads to death and destruction, for their own relationship and others. Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s marriage is full of irresponsibility, on both sides of the marriage. This leads to chaos between them, and destruction of life. We see Daisy’s irresponsible actions during the scandal at the Plaza Hotel.
When Tom, Daisy and Gatsby have a vivid argument, Daisy reveals that she ” never loved him”. Tom, her husband, asks: “Not at Kapiolani”, to which she replies: “No” (F. Scott Fitzgerald pg. 132) This shows that Daisy apparently never loved Tom. Daisy is a irresponsible woman, she is saying that she never loved her husband. If that is the case, then why is she married to Tom in the first place? This is extremely irresponsible . In addition Daisy is also showing her feelings for Gatsby in front of her husband. Daisy quietly says to Gatsby “You look so cool. Their eyes met and they stared at each other, alone in space. “You always look so cool,” she repeated. She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. (F. Scott Fitzgerald pg. 119). This just proves Daisy’s irresponsibility. If she had loved Gatsby so deeply, why is she still married to Tom? Daisy is acting as a irresponsible child. She is switching through lover. Daisy is all talk and she shows no responsibility in taking action. If she were responsible, she would choose a man to be with and respect him. Tom Buchanan is a irresponsible man with absolutely no feelings for others.
In addition, he is in two relationships, with Daisy and Myrtle Wilson who lives in the dreadful valley of ashes. Throughout the novel Tom misleads Myrtle into believing that one day he would save her from the valley of ashes. However the truth behind Tom’s amour for Myrtle is simply sexual pleasure. Myrtle believes that Tom is her ticket to the upper class. When Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, realizes Myrtle has been sleeping around, however he had a dream to leave the valley of ashes with Myrtle. In order for this to happen, he locks Myrtle up.
Myrtle breaks free wanting to be with Tom and not in the pigsty of the valley of ashes. She runs out in the middle of the street, and is killed by Daisy. Nevertheless, Tom is ultimately the reason Myrtles dies, because of his irresponsibility. Tom is the reason for Myrtle’s death because he leaves Myrtle hanging and is not in contact as much. Myrtle’s hopes and dreams were slipping away and she realizes this. In chapter II we see how Tom persuades Myrtle in believing that he cares about her. Tom wants Nick to meet Myrtle. Tom is inviting Myrtle to come to downtown New York. I want to see you,” said Tom intently. “Get on the next train. ” “Al right” replies Myrtle. “I’ll meet you by the news stand on the lower level. ” (Fitzgerald pg. 26) Tom is being a irresponsible man because he is first of all seeing multiple women at the same time. In addition to this, he knows that George loves his wife and still continues to see his wife. Through Tom bringing Myrtle often downtown New York, he manipulates Myrtle in believing he cares for her. However from Tom’s point of view he only sees pleasure. When Tom says he would like Nick to meet Myrtle, he shows signs of ownership and care.
Myrtle is astonished that such a successful man would want to be with a woman of her class. “We’re getting off,” he insisted. ” “I want you to meet my girl. ” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, pg. 24) Tom’s behavior is irresponsible for wanting to be with Myrtle only for pleasure. He treats Myrtle as his property and he misleads her in believing that he loves her. Tom wants Myrtle as his property for sexual pleasure, not as a caring and loving partner, Tom actions are irresponsible in seeing only pleasure, without caring about Myrtle who believes being with Tom is her only way out of the valley of ashes.
When Myrtle Buchanan is struck by Gatsby’s car, she is immediately killed. Since the car is Gatsby’s, one would presume Gatsby is the driver. However Gatsby spills the truth out that Daisy was the one driving. Daisy does not take any responsibility for what she has done. She tells nobody, as if nothing had happened. When George Wilson wants revenge over the killer, Gatsby is the one who takes the blame for Daisy’s actions. As a result George murders Gatsby in believing he was the one who killed Myrtle. We know this when Gatsby leaks the secret to the crash. How the devil did it happen? ” “Well, I tried to swing the wheel-“he broke off and suddenly I guessed the truth. “Was Daisy driving? ” “Yes,” This shows how careless and extremely irresponsible Daisy truly is. She had killed a woman and had acted as if she did not hurt a fly. In addition Daisy is not being a responsible driver, which ultimately leads to crashing into Myrtle and not taking responsibility for what has happened. Daisy truly expresses her irresponsibility, she had not come to Gatsby’s funeral and this is the man who she had apparently loved so deeply.
Nick realizes how Daisy had not even sent a letter, flowers or any sort of apology for what had happened: “I could only remember, without resentment, that Daisy hadn’t sent a message or a flower. ” (Fitzgerald, pg. 174) Daisy’s absence at the funeral of the man who she had apparently loved, proves how irresponsible she is. This means she had not loved him so greatly and she only had a obsession with Gatsby. Daisy again is irresponsible since she should have told Gatsby the truth and not act as if she loved him. Throughout the Great Gatsby, all of the relationships are irresponsible, which leads to death and destruction.
Three relationships failed tragically: Tom and Daisy, Myrtle and Tom, and Daisy and Gatsby. Tom and Daisy Buchanan are two wealthy people whose minds flow with no responsibility and only money. This leads to destruction and death. Tom’s irresponsibility in persuading Myrtle that he was there to help her eventually leads to her death. Daisy’s childish and irresponsible actions eventually result in Gatsby’s death. Through Tom and Daisy’s shortage of responsibility in their many relationships it ultimately caused death and destruction, both to their relationship and others.
