For close to a century, cars have been the preferred method of transportation. However, cars and driving have also been a symbol of one’s character, personality, and social status. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald tells a story about a millionaire, by the name of Jay Gatsby, and his one goal: to be with Daisy, the love of his life. However, Gatsby has many obstacles that are making his journeys difficult such as Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, Gatsby’s history, and his position in the “new money” society. Told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s quest leads him through a journey of rich and poor, triumph and tragedy, and eventually death. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald uses driving as a symbol to portray how bad drivers can often be connected to a careless life. He connects the characters to call into question the idea of a wholesome and attainable American dream by showing the differences in class and society, the recklessness of the time period, and the quest for identity.
The first theme that driving and cars show is the difference in classes and societies. From the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald makes it clear that there are two main types of wealth. People who live in the East Egg are considered people with “old money” while people who live in the West Egg fall under the category of people who have “new money” or newly acquired wealth. Gatsby’s main goal in the novel is to be with Daisy. He believes that this can be achieved through acting as if he is part of the “old money” society but in reality, he is stuck living in the West Egg. By using his wealth to buy items such as “rich cream color, bright [Rolls Royce with] … windshields that mirrored a dozen suns”, Gatsby believes that buying lavish items will allow him to be loved by society and Daisy (64, 5). Through showing his wealth, Gatsby hopes to fool the world that he truly is a part of the “old money society”. In reality, people are unable to take his flashy accessories and items seriously which shows that it is impossible for him to be apart of their society. Through Gatsby’s failed quest, Fitzgerald is attempting to show the reader that the American dream cannot be achieved by all even if they work extremely hard. Another example of how driving connects with classes and society is through Tom Buchanan. Nearing the end of the story, Tom tries to depict his power over Gatsby by driving both his and Gatsby’s car. On the way to Long Island, Tom allows himself to drive Gatsby’s car but on the way back, Tom tells Gatsby that he and Daisy can “start on home” (135, 2). This attempt at control shows Tom’s true superiority over Gatsby and the situation. By controlling who is in the driving seat at one time, Tom has taken true control over the situation which shows their difference in class and society. Tom’s move has also permanently taken away Daisy from Gatsby’s life, depicting his failure to reach the American Dream.
The second theme that driving and cars show is the reckless and corruption of the time period. The 1920s, also known as the “Jazz Age” or “Roaring Twenties” represented a time of freedom and carelessness as many people started to acquire wealth due to the economic boom after World War 1. This period marked a change and break in tradition to a period of rapid economic growth and social change as many people started to live more comfortably and relaxed. This is first shown in Gatsby’s encounter with the police. As Gatsby is driving to East Egg for lunch with Nick, he gets pulled over for speeding. As the police come over to give Gatsby the ticket, Gatsby pulls out a “white card from his wallet” and the policemen immediately apologizes for pulling him over (68, 3). This white card bribes the officer to look away which can also explain why no one has approached Gatsby for his questionable past. By bribing the officer, Gatsby shows the corruption of the police system as well as the lack of justice during that time. Another example of how the driving in the novel connects to the time period is through Jordan Baker. As a character, Jordan is seen as dishonest, mysterious, and self-centered. Through being her boyfriend for the novel, Nick observes that Jordan is “incurably dishonest” not only in golf where she “moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round” but in life as well (58, 1). At the beginning of the novel, Jordan was seen being careless with driving by barely avoiding hitting some workmen on the road. However, later on, she says “careful” driver and that she hates “careless people” (58, 10). Through Jordan’s dishonest character, Fitzgerald draws attention to the social and political turmoil during this time period by showing how the wealthy and the ones who already achieved the American Dream were so corrupted and self-centered.
Another theme that was connected to driving was the quest for identity. Throughout the story, Gatsby really struggled to find his own identity. In order to cover this up, he attempts to create an identity to mask his own. To try and fit into society, Gatsby buys himself into an extravagant lifestyle with expensive cars, a big mansion, and by throwing lavish parties. By covering up his real identity, Gatsby can now focus on his one mission, to truly achieve the American Dream by acquiring Daisy. However, he loses Daisy in the end because she turns back to Tom. Because of Gatsby’s inability to read social cues, he does not realize that Daisy doesn't love him anymore and covers up for her when Nick asks if “Daisy [was] driving" or not (143, 13). Gatsby responds by saying that she was “but of course” he was gonna that he was. This decision of his shows how he is unable to recognize this and is unable to accept that the past is done with already. This inability to find who he truly is leads to him not being able to fulfill his true American Dream as he ultimately ends up paying the ultimate price. Just like Gatsby, Daisy also struggled to find her true identity in the book. Throughout the novel, Daisy is seen as a person who lacks her own personality and identity. She is brainwashed by Tom to be and act like a redundant and ditsy person. She struggles to act independently and has a hard time choosing between the two different identities. This connects with Daisy’s driving because she is basically never seen driving herself or anyone else anywhere. Her struggle is depicted in the only time that Daisy drives. In this scene, she attempts to drive independently but she crashes into Myrtle and kills her on the spot. Her struggle for identity is also seen in the end with the fall of the love triangle in which she is manipulated into staying with Tom. Daisy’s story negatively depicts the American Dream because it shows that people live in the highest class and society are often careless and easily manipulated.
At the end of the novel, Gatsby’s dreams and hopes are killed off as he gets murdered by Wilson for allegedly running his wife, Myrtle, over. Daisy has also left Gatsby to go back to Tom as Nick reflects on Gatsby’s life. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald is trying to show how bad driving can be directly connected to living a careless lifestyle. To further call into question the ideals of the American Dream, Fitzgerald uses the characters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick’s use of the automobile all show the distinct gap in society and class, the recklessness of the 1920s, and the search to find a true identity.