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 F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night, identity is a constant theme depicted throughout Dick Diver's life. Throughout the novel, Diver tries to change the path he originally set for himself, in hopes of finding his lost identity. Dick Diver is a social climber destined to self-destruct. His feelings of restriction due to family obligations turn him into a self-proclaimed failure, in search of liveliness. This journey to sanity leads Diver down a dark road of alcoholism, incest, and a lack of self-knowledge, ultimately leading him to hit rock bottom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Tender is the Night, Dick Diver's decisions shape his future and the person he is. Distracted by society's standards, his family's standards, and his own standards, Diver struggles to remain genuine. In a society “where the meaning of personal experience increasingly escapes the control of the individual” (Broer), Diver makes some harmful decisions, which lead him to his current state. Decisions such as choosing a college major and who Diver chooses to marry are significant decisions. These are decisions that Diver must live with for the rest of his life and are not to be taken lightly. The consequences of these decisions can bring happiness or heartache. It is obvious what the consequences were. Marrying someone because of his money or choosing your future career because of an attractive girl were not good choices. If Diver had thought more about what he really wanted before making irrational decisions, his future would have turned out differently.F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Dick Diver's feelings of pressure due to his obligation to succeed and social pressures. Diver's belief that one's image in society is sculpted by the status of one's ancestors and one's own status gets him into trouble. He begins to make decisions based on the reactions and opinions of those around him. This process gives the diver only temporary pleasure and ends in emptiness. Diver wastes his time throwing parties and living an expensive lifestyle, and doesn't realize he's truly unhappy. Material possessions and social status do not bring happiness, which is seen later in Dick's life. “The 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 was based” (Pitcher). Diver gives in to this unrealistic idea of ​​the American dream, which promotes wealth and perfection. Because of this belief, "realizing that he isn't actually rich does a lot of harm to Dick's concept of 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 just a myth, and as the novel progresses, readers see that the Divers are far from perfect (Pitcher). The role of society and the influences it has on Dick's thoughts cloud his identity at the beginning of the novel. Although Diver thinks that his artificial life at the beginning of the novel is his identity, we learn that Dick Diver honestly does not know who he is and feels lost without material objects and money. Diver learns that the opinions of others have no bearingimpact on a person's true identity. Furthermore, Diver's family assumptions shape his identity and give him standards to which he feels obligated to conform. Diver's main inspiration in his search for identity is his father. Dick's father embodies everything Dick wants to be and how he is described “beyond any doubt of 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 features Dick could work on. Dick tries to imitate his father; however, he spends more time pretending to be someone he isn't, rather than simply himself. This furthers his lack of personal identity because Diver constantly tries to imitate his father's actions and traits. Dick can't find his identity until he embraces himself. When Dick'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, leading to violence and destruction. The death of Dick Diver's father completely changes his chances of healing and self-identification. Diver no longer acts as a father figure to Rosemary or Nicole, demonstrating that he has completely lost his sensory identity. Diver realizes in this moment that he cannot control his destiny, saying "goodbye to all fathers" (Fitzgerald 204). He has completely lost all sense of hope. Furthermore, Dick Diver misses the opportunity to succeed and fails to do anything right. He cannot adequately treat patients, maintain a healthy relationship, or live 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 a lack of control over his own life. The sub likes to control his partners, because for him it claims to be powerful and respected. “Diver goes through a process of self-dissipation throughout the novel: from an initial state of “all completeness” to an intermediate one in which we are told that “he still had pieces of his most personal self for all” (Fitzgerald, 139) and finally to a 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 parents. They may also be less experienced and believe 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 he depends on them fills the void of his own vulnerability. This is unhealthy for their well-being and results in a loss of identity when these relationships fail. Dick Diver likes to be with younger women because they have no responsibilities and have the freedom to live how they want. This explains Diver's attraction to Rosemary. When Diver first meets her, he describes her by saying, "her body hovered delicately on the last edge of childhood: she was almost eighteen, almost complete, but the dew was still on her." (Fitzgerald 3). While it is slightly disturbing to hear Diver talk about a young woman this way, he describes his attraction to the qualities that make Rosemary young. She also notices that she still had dew on her, signifying her innocence and indicating that she was a virgin at the time. Furthermore, Diver describes his daughter, Topsy, as “nine years old, very beautiful and exquisitely made like Nicole…Dick had worried about that” (Fitzgerald 257) and compares Rosemary to his daughter. This showshow Diver's feelings are inappropriate and extreme. He is even attracted to his daughter who is just a child. Dick Diver forms relationships with young girls like Rosemary because he would like to have the same opportunities they have. Young people have the power to create their own future, unlike Diver, whose future was determined when he married Nicole. By surrounding himself with younger people, Diver can see them blossom and live freely. This makes Diver feel like he is young again and free from all his burdens. This also distracts Diver from finding his true self by creating a false sense of identity. CazzoDiver will never be younger again and accepting his age and his place in life is an important part of Diver's identity that he must come to terms with in order to be happy. The twisted relationship between Dick Diver and his wife Nicole gave Diver a false sense of dependency that clouded his identity. In retrospect, the arranged marriage was technically a way for Nicole to get the attention she needed due to her schizophrenia. However, Nicole's incestuous past and lack of trust led her to become almost completely dependent on her husband, who reminded her of her 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 demonstrated 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, as time passed, the marriage became strained and dishonest. The relationship became unpleasant for Dick, and Nicole's lack of control reflected his lack of control over his own life. Once Nicole started to become 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 entirely happy in their relationship, it wasn't easy for Dick to understand that not only did Nicole no longer want him, she no longer needed him as 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 last attempt to gain some form of power in his life. Nicole's choice to marry Tommy Barban showed Dick Diver that he had control over his life, something Diver was desperate for. Diver's divorce changed the identities of both Dick and Nicole. Through their separation, Dick lost more of his identity, while Nicole found her identity again. Dick lost the belief that he mattered to anyone and could act as a hero or father figure. Because of this he falls into depression and even Nicole tells him “You have made your life a failure” (Fitzgerald 334). This contributed to Dick Diver's loss of role in his family and society. However, Nicole found her identity through the separation from Dick. This separation demonstrated Nicole's strength to herself and others. She finally felt like an independent, self-sufficient and valuable woman. Previously, Nicole had felt as if “every word seemed to have a tinge of some other meaning, soon resolved in circumstances that Dick would determine” (Fitzgerald 280). Now that Nicole no longer relies on Dick, she can form her own thoughts and opinions and live a life true to herself..