Automobiles

=﻿ ﻿AUTOMOBILES: = =Automobiles are a prevalent motif throughout __//The Great Gatsby//__ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The characters use them constantly for transportation and main events of the plot revolve around vehicles. Fitzgerald has presented them so pivotally in the novel in order to further characterization and plot. Automobiles in this novel act as the identity through which characters appear in public, frivolous amusements which characters handle carelessly, and personal sanctuaries lacking consequences to which charcters can retreat.=

First of all, automobiles are the public identities by which the characters appear.

 * **"The interior [of Wilson's garage] was unprosperous and bare; the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner." (Fitzgerald 29)**
 * George Wilson is middle class, business not prospering, stays out of the limelight, not life of the party
 * type of car and its deteriorated state is representative of his income, modest personality
 * car characterizes him, gives the impression to others that Wilson doesn't earn much, unambitious
 * **"she [Myrtle] let four taxi cabs drive away before she selected a new one, lavender-colored with grey upholstery" (Fitzgerald 31)**
 * Myrtle has a vitality, is selective, adventurous, life of party
 * waits for a car that suits her style, personality, shows that image is important to her
 * an attempt to stand out, show off to all the passerby
 * **"Gatsby's gorgeous car lurched up the rocky drive to my door and gave out a burst of melody from its three noted horn" (Fitzgerald 68)**
 * Gatsby very wealthy, ostentatious, show his wealth to impress everyone in order to woo Daisy
 * car part of his too-perfect facade, what he wants others to see
 * even car horn shows how prone he is to excess

T//his is the kind of car that if owned by a character in// The Great Gatsby //would show to the rest of Fitzgerald's literary world that its owner had wealth and wanted to be the center of attention.// [|http://www.pimpledrides.blogsome.com]

Additionally, vehicles are disposable amusements for the characters, who exhibit carelessness and frivolity with them.

 * **"she [Jordan] left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down" (Fitzgerald 62)**
 * characterizes the wastefulness, frivolity of the upper-class
 * Jordan unrestrained by consequences, no care for others' property
 * **"he [Gatsby] was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement" (Fitzgerald 68)**
 * seems to be perching on the dashboard, treating his expensive car like a toy, not careful
 * again adds to portrayal of well-to-do as careless, wasteful
 * uses it as a prop, an accessory
 * **"Well, you take my coupe and let me drive your car to town" (Fitzgerald 127)**
 * Tom said to Gatsby; as if two children, no apparent reason, just trading toys for a thrill, for FUN
 * Tom seems almost envious, of Gatsby's more expensive plaything, so he wants to take it for a spin
 * Tom not concerned with Gatsby, almost stranger, definitely not friend, driving his own car, willing to hand it over Gatsby without a care for what happens to it

[[image:http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/li/little-tikes-cosy-coupe-ii-toy-car.jpg]]
//This child riding in this toy car would treat his automobile very similarly to how the characters in// The Great Gatsby //treat their own more expensive and very real vehicles.// [|http://www.cubed3.com]

Finally, automobiles act as refuges for the characters in which they can act without conscience, allowing their reckless decisions to unfold.

 * **"I [Myrtle] got into a taxi with him [Tom] " (Fitzgerald 40)**
 * Myrtle getting into a cab with a stranger, risking her marriage and Tom also risking his
 * possibly the taxi provides them a sense of a private place...one where no one will know, they can begin their affair without retribution
 * **"Well, I'm going to tell you something about my life...I'm going to make a big request of you today" (Fitzgerald 71)**
 * usually Gatsby is secretive about his past, no talkative, puts on a show of independence, having everything
 * he tells Nick about his past, and admits to Nick that he needs a favor from him
 * this relaxation of his barriers of privacy, invulnerability, independence, all happens within Gatsby's car, his personal sanctuary, where Gatsby feels safe in letting his guard down to Nick
 * **"her white roadster was beside the curb, and she was sitting in it with a lieutenant I had never seen before. They were so engrossed in each other that she didn't see me [Jordan] until I was five feet away." (Fitzgerald 79)**
 * although Daisy's family disapproved relationship with Gatsby, Daisy is still dating Gatsby, in her car across the street from her house
 * her car is a getaway, where she can be infatuated, in love with Gatsby, disobey parents, escape from reality
 * Gatsby also ignoring consequences that day, in the car with Daisy, he's spending time with her, even though future with her is bleak (going off to military, no income to support a family)

//This luxurious and spacious interior of a customized limousine embodies what it means for an automobile to be one's own refuge, in which one can ignore any consequences. (//[|http://www.limobus.net])