Identity is “the characteristics that determine who or what a person or thing is” (Oxford Dictionary). Identity includes sexuality, age, political opinions, religious beliefs, or anything that shapes who we are. In Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, identity is a constant theme depicted throughout Dick Diver's life. Throughout the novel, Diver attempts to alter the path he initially set for himself, in hopes of regaining his lost identity. Dick Diver is a social climber bent on self-destruction. His feeling of restriction in relation to family obligations makes him a self-proclaimed lack, in search of liveliness. This journey toward sanity leads Diver down a dark road of alcoholism, incest, and lack of self-knowledge, ultimately leading him to remain at rock bottom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Tender is the Night, Dick Diver's decisions shape his future and the person he is. Distracted by society's standards, those of his family, and his own standards, Diver struggles to remain authentic. In a society “where the meaning of personal experience increasingly escapes the control of the individual” (Broer), Diver makes damaging decisions, which lead to his current state. Decisions such as choosing a college major and who Diver chooses to marry are important decisions. These are decisions that Diver must live with for the rest of his life and should not be taken lightly. The consequences of these decisions can lead to happiness or distress. The consequences are obvious. Marrying someone because of their money or choosing your future career because of a pretty girl were not good choices. If Diver had thought more about what he really wanted before making irrational decisions, his future would have been different.F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts Dick Diver's feelings of pressure due to his obligation to succeed and societal pressures. Diver's belief that in society, everyone's image is sculpted by the status of their ancestors and by their own status, gets him into trouble. He begins to make decisions based on the reactions and opinions of those around him. This process only gives the Diver temporary pleasure and ends in emptiness. Diver wastes his time throwing parties and living an expensive life, and he doesn't realize that he is truly unhappy. Material goods and social status do not bring happiness, as we will see later in Dick's life. “Awareness of the myth of the self-made man was the greatest of American allusions…. Awareness of the fact did not allow one to escape the truth on which it rested” (Pitcher). Diver gives in to this unrealistic notion of the American dream, which extols wealth and perfection. Because of this belief, "realizing that he is not in fact rich does a lot of damage to Dick's conception that he is living the American dream" (Florida Atlantic University). It's an illusion. When we first meet The Divers, they are a perfect example of the American dream. This means they are both attractive, have money, and seem happy. However, the American dream is only a myth, and as the novel unfolds, readers realize that the Divers are far from perfect (Pitcher). The role of society and the influences it exerts on Dick's thoughts obscure his identity at the beginning of the novel. Although Diver believes that his artificial life at the beginning of the novel is his identity, we learn that DickDiver honestly doesn't know who he is and feels lost without material objects or money. Diver learns that the opinions of others have no impact on a person's true identity. Additionally, Diver's familial assumptions alter his identity and give him standards that he feels obligated to meet. Diver's main source of inspiration in his search for identity is his father. Dick's father embodies everything Dick wants to be and is described as "without any doubt about what he is" (Fitzgerald 204). Diver's father is a confident man and, like Diver, can sometimes be described as powerful. However, Dick Diver's father was also honest and virtuous. These are traits Dick could work on. Dick tries to imitate his father; however, he spends more time pretending to be someone he is not rather than simply being himself. This reinforces his lack of identity as Diver constantly tries to imitate his father's actions and traits. Dick can't find his identity until he embraces himself. When Dick Diver's father dies, he feels even more pressure to honor his legacy by being a moral person (Stern). However, this only makes his habits worse. Dick becomes addicted to alcohol, which leads to violence and destruction. The death of Dick Diver's father completely changes his chances of recovery and self-identification. Diver no longer acts as a father figure to Rosemary or Nicole, showing that he has completely lost his sensory identity. Diver realizes at this moment that he cannot control his destiny, saying “goodbye to all fathers” (Fitzgerald 204). He has completely lost all hope. Additionally, Dick Diver loses the opportunity to succeed and fails to do anything good. He cannot treat patients properly, maintain a healthy relationship, or lead a virtuous life. Dick has lost all sense of who he was and has no chance of becoming “as good as he intended to be” (Fitzgerald 204). Dick Diver is incestuous and acts as a father figure in all of his romantic relationships due to lack of control over his own life. Diver likes to control his partners, because it affirms to him that he is powerful and respected. “Diver undergoes a process of self-dissipation throughout the novel: from an initial state of “total completeness” to an intermediate state in which we are told that “he still had pieces of his most personal self for everyone” (Fitzgerald, 139). ) and finally to total exhaustion, which is a form of inertia” (Stamatescu). Younger women are more likely to accept this dominant power because they are used to being controlled by adults and their parents. They may also be less experienced and believe that Diver's need to control a relationship is normal. Having this power makes Diver feel more valuable as a person, because being responsible for someone else and knowing that they depend on them fills the void of his own vulnerability. This is unhealthy for one's well-being and leads to a loss of identity when these relationships fail. Dick Diver enjoys being with younger women because they have no responsibilities and have the freedom to live as they please. This explains Diver's attraction to Rosemary. When Diver first meets her, he describes her by saying: "her body floated delicately on the last edge of childhood – she was almost eighteen, almost complete, but the dew was still on her." » (Fitzgerald 3). Although it is slightly disturbing to hear Diver speak of a young woman in this way, he describes his attraction to the qualities that make Rosemary young. He also notes that she still had dew on her, signifying her innocence and indicating that she was a virgin at the time. Moreover,Diver describes his daughter Topsy as "nine years old, very beautiful and exquisitely made like Nicole...Dick was worried about that" (Fitzgerald 257) and compares Rosemary to his daughter. This shows how inappropriate and extreme the diver's feelings are. He is even attracted to his own daughter who is just a child. Dick Diver forms relationships with young girls like Rosemary because he wants to have the same opportunities as them. Young people have the power to create their future, unlike Diver, whose future was determined when he married Nicole. By surrounding himself with young people, Diver can see them flourish and live freely. This makes Diver feel young again and free of all his burdens. This also prevents Diver from finding his true self by creating a false sense of identity. QueueDiver will never be young again and accepting his age and place in life is a big part of Diver's identity that he must accept in order to be happy. The twisted relationship between Dick Diver and his wife Nicole gave Diver a false sense of dependence that tarnished his identity. In retrospect, the arranged marriage was technically a way for Nicole to get the attention she craved due to her schizophrenia. However, Nicole's incestuous past and lack of trust caused her to become almost entirely dependent on her husband, who reminded her of her own father. This made Dick Diver not only Nicole's husband, but also her doctor and father figure. Nicole's weakness and Dick's sense of importance are what keeps this relationship stable (Galioto). The once strong bond between Dick and Nicole was manifested when he "left a note for Maria Wallis signed "'Dicole,' the word with which he and Nicole had signed communications in the early days of love" ( Fitzgerald 113). At one point, the Divers were so dependent on each other that it was normal for them to combine their names, as if they were one. However, over time, the marriage became strained and dishonest. The relationship became unpleasant for Dick and the lack of control over Nicole reflected his lack of control over his own life. Once Nicole started becoming more independent and confident without Dick, the relationship became difficult. Although Dick felt trapped in his relationship with Nicole, his reaction to her decision to leave him was slightly unexpected. Even though he wasn't completely happy in their relationship, it wasn't easy for Dick to understand that not only did Nicole no longer want him, but she also no longer needed his support. This sudden lack of control over Nicole reflected Diver's lack of control over his own life. Dick Diver's attempt to save his marriage to Nicole was his final attempt to gain some form of power in his life. Nicole's choice to marry Tommy Barban showed Dick Diver that she had control over her life, something Diver desperately sought. Diver's divorce changed Dick and Nicole's identities. Through their separation, Dick lost more of his identity, while Nicole regained hers. Dick lost the belief that he was important to anyone and that he could act as a hero or father figure. For this reason, he falls into a depression, and even Nicole tells him: “You have made a failure of your life” (Fitzgerald 334). This contributed to Dick Diver's loss of role in his family and in society. However, Nicole found her identity through her separation from Dick. This separation proved Nicole's strength towards herself and others. She finally felt like an independent, autonomous and valuable woman. In the past, Nicole had felt that "each word seemed to have a different connotation, which would soon be.