Great Gatsby Seminar What roles do telephones and cars play in the development of the novel?

Answer and Explanation:

In "The Great Gatsby", a novel by author F. Scott Fitzgerald, telephones and cars are as important for the development of the plot as the characters themselves.

When it comes to telephones, it is through them that mysteries are either created or unveiled. Right from the start of the novel, Tom's lover calls him at home in the middle of dinner. That causes a fight between Tom and Daisy and leads Nick, the narrator, to learn of Tom's infidelity. Gatsby is also constantly being told there is someone on the phone for him, however the revelation concerning his calls comes later on in the plot. It turns out that Gatsby is a criminal, and the phone calls are from his partners and cronies. If it weren't for his crimes, Gatsby wouldn't be rich enough to pursue Daisy. Without Tom's infidelities, Daisy might have never cheated on him with her old boyfriend Gatsby. Telephones, therefore, help things take their course in the novel.

The same goes for cars. The characters are constantly driving and being driven. Their cars represent their power, wealth, and desires. The first time Daisy meets up with Gatsby at Nick's house, she is driven in the rain. When Tom pays a visit to his lover, he uses his car as an excuse to talk to her husband. Whenever any of them, Tom or Gatsby, wants to go to the city to do their shady businesses - money related or not -, they take their cars. Finally, Tom's lover is run over and killed by Daisy when she is driving back from the city, uneasy and pressured by Tom and Gatsby. This tragedy leads to the final tragedy, which is Gatsby's own death. Cars, as well as telephones, are crucial for conflicts to develop in the story.

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