Identity is “the characteristics identifying who or perhaps what a person or point is” (Oxford Dictionary). Identity includes your sexuality, era, political views, religious beliefs, or anything that shapes who they are. In Tender is the Night simply by F. Jeff Fitzgerald, id is a frequent theme represented throughout the existence of Dick Diver. Through the entire novel, Diver tries to customize path this individual originally decide for him self, in hopes of actually finding his shed identity. Dick Diver is known as a social climber bound to self-destruct. His emotions of limitation from family obligations switch him to a self-proclaimed manque, in search of liveliness. This trip for state of mind leads Diver down a dark highway of dependency on alcohol, incest, and lack of self-knowledge, ultimately creating him to be at rock bottom.
In Tender is definitely the Night, Dick Diver’s decisions shape his future and the person he is. Distracted simply by society’s requirements, his family’s standards fantastic own standard’s, Diver problems to remain authentic. In a contemporary society “where this is of personal experience is more and more slipping away from control of the individual” (Broer), Diver makes some damaging decisions, ultimately causing his present state. Decisions like choosing a college main and whom Diver selects to get married to are significant decisions. They’re decisions that Diver needs to live with for the rest of their life and are to never be taken lightly. The consequences of these decisions can cause happiness or perhaps distress. It really is obvious the particular consequences had been. Marrying someone because of their money or picking your future profession because of an attractive girl were not good choices. If perhaps Diver experienced thought more about what he truly wanted before making irrational decisions his future might have turned out in another way.
Farrenheit. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Dick Diver’s thoughts of pressure due to his obligation to hit your objectives and societal pressures. Diver’s belief that in world, one’s photo is toned by their ancestors’ status and the own position, gets him into problems. He starts off making decisions based off of the reactions and opinions of those around him. This process just gives Diver temporary you should and end in emptiness. Diver wastes his time tossing parties and living an expensive lifestyle, and he would not realize that he can truly disappointed. Material items and cultural status do not bring joy, which is noticed further upon in Dick’s life. “The awareness of the parable of the self-made man was the greatest of yankee allusions¦. Knowing of the fact did not permit that you escape the fact on which it was premised” (Pitcher). Diver gives into this unrealistic notion of the American Dream, which will promotes riches and flawlessness. Due to this opinion, “realizing that he is actually not rich does a immense amount of harm to Dick’s concept of his living the American Dream” (Florida Atlantic University). Costly illusion. Whenever we first fulfill the Divers, they can be a perfect example of the American Dream. What this means is they are both desirable, they have money, and they appear to be happy. However , the American Dream is just a myth, and as the novel unfolds viewers see that the Divers is much from excellent (Pitcher). The role of society as well as the influences they have on Dick’s thoughts impair his id at the beginning of the novel. Although Diver feels that his artificial lifestyle at the beginning of the novel is definitely his identification, we study that Dick Diver honestly does not understand who he’s and seems lost with no material things and funds. Diver learns that the thoughts of others do not impact on an individual’s true personality.
Furthermore, Diver’s familial presumptions shift his personality and give him standards this individual feels obligated to live approximately. Diver’s main inspiration in the identity search is his father. Dick’s father embodies everything Dick wants to become and is identified as “beyond any doubt of what he” (Fitzgerald 204). Diver’s father is a self-confident man, and like Diver, can sometimes be described as powerful. However , Dick Diver’s father was also honest a desired. These are attributes Dick could work on. Dick attempts to mimic his father, nevertheless , he usually spends more time pretending to be someone he can not, than just being him self. This furthers his deficiency of self-identity mainly because Diver is constantly trying to imitate his father’s actions and traits. Dick cannot discover his identity until he embraces himself.
The moment Dick Diver’s father drops dead, he feels even more pressure to honor his musical legacy by being a moral person (Stern). However , this just causes his habits to worsen. Dick becomes hooked on alcohol, leading to violence and destruction. The death of Dick All scuba divers father completely changes his chances of restoration and self-identification. Diver no longer acts as a paternal figure to Rosemary or Nicole, showing that this individual has totally lost his sense personality. Diver realizes at this moment that he are not able to control his fate, declaring “good-by most fathers” (Fitzgerald 204). He has completely lost any kind of sense of hope. Furthermore, Dick Diver loses a chance to be successful and fails to do anything right. This individual cannot effectively treat people, maintain a proper relationship, or live a virtuous life. Dick has lost any sense of who having been and does not have any chance of getting as good as he had intended to be (Fitzgerald 204).
Dick Diver is incestuous and acts as a father figure in most of his romantic relationships due to lack of control in his own existence. Diver enjoys controlling his partners, mainly because to him, it affirms that he is strong and respected. “Diver undergoes a procedure of self-dissipation throughout the novel: from a state of preliminary “all completeness” to an intermediary one in which we are advised that “he still experienced pieces of his own most personal home for everyone”(Fitzgerald, 139) and finally to a total exhaustion, a form of inertness”(Stamatescu). Younger females are more likely to agree to this taking over power as they are used to becoming controlled by simply adults and oldsters. They also could possibly be less skilled and believe Diver’s urge to control a relationship is normal. Having this power makes Diver think more useful as a person because staying responsible for another individual and knowing that they rely upon him fills the void of his personal vulnerability. This is unhealthy for his well-being and results in loss of identification when these kinds of relationships are unsuccessful.
Dick Diver looks forward to being around younger females because they have no responsibility and have the flexibility to live as they please. This explains Diver’s attraction to Rosemary. Once Diver first meets her, he identifies her declaring, “her body hovered gently on the last edge of childhood”she was almost 18, nearly finish, but the dew was still on her behalf. ” (Fitzgerald 3). Though it is a little bit disturbing experiencing Diver speak about a young female in this manner, this individual describes his attraction towards the qualities that will make Rosemary youthful. He likewise notes that she even now had dew on her, symbols of her innocence and proving the fact that she was obviously a virgin during the time. Furthermore, Diver describes his daughter Topsy, as seven and very reasonable and remarkably made like Nicole¦Dick experienced worried about that (Fitzgerald 257) and even comes close Rosemary to his girl. This shows how inappropriate and extreme Diver’s feelings are. He could be even interested in his own daughter who may be only a young child. Dick Diver forms relationships with young ladies like Rosemary because he would like he had a similar opportunities that they have. Young people have the power to make their future, unlike Diver, whose upcoming was determined when he committed Nicole. Simply by surrounding him self with more youthful people, Diver can watch all of them blossom and live readily. This makes Diver feel like he could be young once again and is clear of all of his burdens. This also distracts Diver from finding his true do it yourself by building a false feeling of identity. Dick Diver will never be young again and accepting his age make in life is actually a big component to Diver’s identity that he must come to terms with to be happy.
The twisted romantic relationship of Dick Diver fantastic wife Nicole gave Diver a false sense of dependency that tarnished his identification. In retrospect, the arranged marriage was technically the best way for Nicole to get the attention she needed due to her schizophrenia. Nevertheless , Nicole’s incestuous past and lack of assurance caused her to become almost completely dependent upon her partner, who reminded her of her own father. This made Dick Diver not only Nicole’s partner, but also her doctor and fatherly figure. Nicole’s some weakness and Dick’s feelings of importance are what keep this relationship steady (Galioto). Dick and Nicole’s once strong bond was shown if he “left an email for Karen Wallis authorized “Dicole, the word with which this individual and Nicole had signed communications inside the first days of love” (Fitzgerald 113). At one level, the Technical scuba divers were and so dependent on one another that it was usual for them to incorporate their labels, as if we were holding one. Nevertheless , as period went on, wedding became drained and fraudulent. The relationship started to be unenjoyable pertaining to Dick, plus the lack of control over Nicole reflected his not enough control over his own lifestyle. Once Nicole started to become more independent and confident without Dick, the relationship started to be rocky.
Although Dick felt captured in his marriage with Nicole, his a reaction to her decision to leave him was slightly unforeseen. Even though having been not thrilled in their marriage, it was challenging for Dick to understand that not only did Nicole not need him any longer, but in addition, she no longer needed him for support. This unexpected lack of control of Nicole mirrored Diver’s lack of control over his own existence. Dick Diver’s attempt to preserve his matrimony with Nicole was his last attempt at gaining some kind of power in the life. Nicole’s choice to marry Tommy Barban showed Dick Diver that she had control over her lifestyle, something Diver was desperate for.
The Diver’s divorce changed the identities of both Dick and Nicole. Through their particular separation, Dick lost associated with his id, whereas Nicole found her identity. Dick lost the belief that he was important to someone and can act as the hero or father figure. For this reason, he comes into a despression symptoms, and even Nicole tells him “You’ve produced a failure of the life” (Fitzgerald 334) This kind of contributed to Dick Diver’s loss of role in the family and world. However , Nicole found her identity through her parting from Dick. This splitting up proved Nicole’s strength to herself and others. She finally felt like persistent, self-sufficient, and valuable girl. Formerly, Nicole had believed as though “every word had seemed to provide an overtone of some other that means, soon to get resolved beneath circumstances that Dick will determine” (Fitzgerald 280). Given that Nicole has ceased to be relying on Dick, she can form her own thoughts and opinions and live a life faithful to herself. Clearing herself by Dick Diver’s restraint signifies that Nicole can live without the burden of all their relationship. She can in person grow in the healthy romantic relationship she justifies.
Dick Diver’s being rejected of the perception that each individual’s fate can be inevitable shifts his worldview. It is very clear that Diver’s future has not been what this individual expected in any respect. Although Dick Diver felt powerful at times as a result of his family status and his relevance to poor women in unhealthy human relationships, Diver cannot handle his fate. Diver became a perfectionist, aiming to change his destiny in hopes of keeping away from surprises or unhappiness. Nevertheless , Diver could hardly release the idea that it is extremely hard to completely control your future. Every single choice, actions, feeling, and decision is inevitable. While Dick’s lifestyle starts to alter, his find it difficult to hold on to earlier times becomes difficult, and he feels like he provides completely dropped his identification. Ultimately Dick cannot end his self-destruction until he can become less controlling. When he understands this, it truly is already inside its final stages.
Dick Diver was bound to destroy his reputation and cultural perfection due to his attempts to alter his fate. Whilst attempting to become a flawless part of society, Diver ruins his job, relationship, friendships, also, his identity. Not only does Diver destroy every valuable thing in his existence, but this individual also damages his sense of security in life and pride. Diver suffers various consequences and loses the chance to become the desired, respected gentleman he desired being. Diver’s act of perfection becomes faulty when folks start to find who he truly is usually. Because he features lost his identity, Diver’s public failure transforms him into a new person. Diver’s dilemma about life makes his identity jumbled and ambiguous. He misplaced his perception of personal and is an entirely changed person from the Diver we were first introduced to at the outset of the story.
Liquor acts as a thoughts that keeps Dick Diver coming from coping with his identity. Diver drinks a lot of alcohol to fit along with society and uses that to numb his feelings of worry. Dick’s complete hopelessness and wish to be apart of society triggers him to be reckless and excessive. Dick turns into a great alcoholic, totally changing how he is viewed by contemporary society. Diver becomes more violent and pitiful. Diver moves from a put together gentleman that does not beverage to an uncontrollable drunk. This individual allows alcohol to take more than his identity and determine who he could be.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night time, Dick Diver struggles to find his identification. Throughout the book, Diver is continually distracted by simply personal and communal hurdles. He challenges to avoid succumbing to society’s pressure being perfect, whilst navigating through divorce, affairs, and alcoholism. Fitzgerald uses identity like a theme, worrying that loss of identity can cause loss of state of mind, which Diver clearly viewed. Through his struggle to discover himself, Dick Diver moves into annoying, becoming managing and impractical. These attributes become a part of his identity, and ultimately, Diver shows how easily someone’s identity can slip away.
