Great Gatsby

1359 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Theme of the great Gatsby and how the author shows it in the book

The Great Gatsby
There are many different types of people in this world. Apart from physical features, it is the characteristics of a person that makes him/her original. Nick Carraway the narrator of The Great Gatsby, has qualities which are the complete opposite of those of Tom Buchanan, his cousin-in-law. In the novel, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, uses the comparison between two cousins to show how their differing characteristics reflects the themes of morality and reality versus illusion.
One of Nick’s Characteristics, that is incompatible with Toms is that Nick is cautious when speaking. On an occasion when Mr. Gatz said something that Nick disagreed with , Nick still hesitantly, agreed with him, as to not hurt an old man’s feelings; as apparent by the following quote: “If he lived, he would have been a great man. A man like James J. Hill. He’d of helped build up the country.’ ‘That’s true,’ I said, uncomfortably. (Pg. 164) Tom, who is at the other end of the rope, is very careless about what he says; he does not care if he hurts someone. At one time, he was very rude when paying only ten dollars to a dog seller on the street. “ ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ she asked delicately, ‘That dog. That dog’s a boy. (Dog-seller) ‘It’s a bitch,’ said Tom decisively. ‘Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.’ (Pg. 28) This shows that Tom does not care if he hurts the feelings of the person to whom he speaks with. Nick’s carefulness when speaking and Tom’s Carelessness reveals a lot about their morality. It shows that Nick’s morals are high he can not hurt an old man who had just lost his son; whereas Tom’s morals are so low, that he hurts a poor stranger walking down the street, who is trying to make a living. The carefulness of speaking shows the theme of morality because it reflects respect for humanity. With the realization that the way one wants to be treated he or she treats the other person with the same respect.
Nick’s carefulness when saying something reveals the fact that he makes good judgements. An example of his g...

... middle of paper ...

...door while we were getting ready to leave and when I sent down “?'; that weren’t in he tried to force this way upstairs. He was crazy enough to kill me if I hadn’t told him who owed the car. His hand was on the revolver in his pocket every minute he was in the house-’ He broke off definitely. ‘What if I did tell him (Gatsby)? That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did Daisy’
(Pg. 180)

This shows Tom did not feel any remorse for telling on Gatsby. The fact that Nick has a conscience and Tom does not seem to have a conscience gives more depth of morality of these characters. Nicks sensitive conscience proves that he is a clean-hearted person; whereas tom insensitive conscience proves that he is a selfish person. The theme of morality is shown through their conscience actions.
The characteristics of human beings, can say a lot about what kind of person they are. Both Nick and Tom have characteristics that are quite the opposite. In showing the differing characteristics of Nick and Tom, Fritzgerald portrays the themes of morality and reality versus illusion.

Show More
Related

  • Tommy John Surgery

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sometimes the UCL will weaken and stretch (technically a sprain), making it incompetent. Other times a catastrophic stress will cause the structure to "pop" or blow out. The injury isn't tremendously painful, and it can be incredibly diffic...

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Dialectical Journal Chapter 1

    346 Words  | 1 Pages

    2. Nick initially describes himself as non judgmental. He believes the act of judgment based on one's moral principles, cause you to misinterpret others. He believes this in spite of ‘“his own moral standards”, which he believes to be prestigious as well.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Louis Armstrong And Bix Beiderbecke

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Louis Armstrong was known for his “hot jazz” while Bix Beiderbecke was known more for his “cool reflective” jazz style. Louis Armstrong developed a new style of jazz music that took New Orleans by storm, and many other bands decided to move to north Chicago because of it. In 1925 Louis recorded his first Hot Five records and this was the first time he developed songs under his name. Then later on he made the Hot Seven and these two records are considered some of the biggest jazz classics. These records really established Louis Armstrong’s “hot jazz” style and many people recognized that. Many people and critics also considered these records as some of the finest jazz recordings in history, solos began to emerge and that really characterized jazz. These tracks were very important because it not only expressed Louis style but it influenced a lot of the jazz world. After the tracks many people began to change from polyphony to soloists, from embellishment to improvisation, and changing from breaks to having solos and their was much more influence. Then there was Bix Beiderbecke who was known for his “cool reflective” jazz. He was known for having a unique lyric tone, he had a vibrant sound, and he and he was different from other trumpet and cornet players. These were the type of things that led to the development of what is known as “cool jazz”. Everything that he went through in his life, the sadness, his heroic side, all this led to his music style. These two had a huge impact with their type of styles, which is the reason for their success. There uniqueness is what led to their style and them being known for their type of jazz, one simply can not say that one is better than the other because they simply did not have the same

    Read More

  • What Is Nick's Selfishness In The Great Gatsby

    1219 Words  | 3 Pages

    After being exposed to the affair, Nick is later lectured by Tom about a particular book he 's been reading up on, “The idea is if we don’t look out, the white race will – will be utterly submerged!” Albeit this was written and situated in the 1920s, Nick himself does not express an opinion on the subject, while Tom is strident about his misguided contingency. Despite Tom, Nick endures through the dinner and sticks around for information about Daisy 's child. However, Daisy appears to not show much interest for her own daughter, instead expressing believable bitterness towards life and everything, leading here, “Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom 's, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. 'Sophisticated – God I’m sophisticated! '" Nick realizes the insincerity in her act it was once he actually reads into her lines, but isn 't sure of what to comment on. Daisy winds up extending the conversation into the room Tom and Jordan are lingering in, leaving Nick in an uncomfortable position. Fast forward to after Nick makes his realization on Jordan, the two of them are riding along in a car debating Jordan 's driving skills or whether she should be more careful, and she eventually admits, “I hate careless people. That’s why I like you." Although Nick and Jordan are in a relationship, neither of them truly cares for one another, as Nick blatantly dislikes nearly all of Jordan 's traits yet still finds himself gripped to her solely on his fascination for the careless 1920s living style. Jordan most likely couldn 't care less of what Nick thought about her, seemingly dating him for almost no reason whatsoever besides a simple shrug. Presently, nearly all of Nick 's acquaintances are

    Read More

  • Essay On Why Is Nick An Unreliable Narrator In The Great Gatsby

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick attempts to deceive the reader at the beginning of the novel by describing himself as a man who is inclined to reserve all judgments (3). But Nick actually evaluates everyone based off his own bias judgments. He describes Jordan Baker as an incurably dishonest (57) and careless person (58). Tom and Daisy are careless people who “smash-up things and creatures and then retreat back into their money or vast carelessness” (179), according to Nick’s description. He describes Mr. McKee as feminine (30). Nick also describes George Wilson as a spiritless man (25). He is effectively not reserving his judgments. This deception and lying from Nick is another reason why he is an unreliable narrator, which goes against how Nick generally describes himself as an honest man who reserves all judgments, showing his non-objective stance.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anyone Lived In A Pretty How Town

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    4). Nick’s assessment and criticism toward Jordan, Tom, and Daisy also show his skeptical and logical outlook on others around him. This tone shows Nick’s struggle between being like the emotionless and careless people around him (like Tom) or to be his own hopeful and romantic man (following

    Read More

  • What Are Some Important Quotes From The Great Gatsby

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick begins the novel with wise advice his father once told him, “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”’(1). Nick starts off by reminding himself and informing that throughout the story, save your judgements to yourself and try to put yourself in his or her position. His words are also a reminder that in society today, people tend to judge too quickly and we need to remember that everyone is not in the same position as we are. There will always be someone more or less fortunate than us, and we must be grateful for what we are given.

    Read More

  • Essay On Sports Injuries

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many injuries in general, but sports injuries? Sprains and Strains are the most common injuries in sports. “Sprains are injuries to ligaments, the tough bands connecting in a joint. Suddenly stretching ligaments past their limits deforms or tears them” (Hoffman 1). Ligaments are like springs in a sense that when you stretch a spring, it will return to it’s normal state unless they are

    Read More

  • gatmoral Moral and Emotional Range of The Great Gatsby

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, there is a broad spectrum of moral and social views demonstrated by various characters.  At one end, is Tom, a man who attacks Gatsby's sense of propriety and legitimacy, while thinking nothing of running roughshod over the lives of those around him. A direct opposite of Tom's nature is Gatsby, who displays great generosity and caring, yet will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of running off with Daisy. The moral and emotional characteristics of Gastby and Tom are juxtaposed, Tom, the immoral character and Gastby, the moral character while the other characters' moral and emotional developments appear between these two.

    Read More

  • Essay On Nick Carraway In The Great Gatsby

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the end of the book, it is revealed that all of Tom, Daisy, and Nick are extremely careless. Nick’s carelessness detriments his reliability as a narrator. Because of Nick’s deep and familiar connection with Gatsby, Gatsby is “the exception” and Nick cannot be a reliable narrator towards him. Nick really admires and appreciates Gatsby as a friend, although it seems that Gatsby may not feel nth same way ads Nick. Gatsby may have befriended Nick solely because of his connection with Daisy. Nicks obsession with Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession with

    Read More

  • Women Sport Athlete Injuries

    1818 Words  | 4 Pages

    The majority of ACL injuries suffered during athletic participation are of the noncontact variety. Three main noncontact mechanisms have been identified planting and cutting, straight-knee landing and one-step stop landing with the knee hyperextended. Pivoting and sudden deceleration are also common mechanisms of noncontact ACL injury. Basketball, soccer, and volleyball consistently produce some of the highest ACL injury rates across various age groups. Other activities with a high rate of injury are gymnastics, martial arts, and running. In most sports, injuries occur more often in games than in practice. Many injuries have occurred during the first 30 minutes of play. One-reason physicians are seeing more ACL injuries in female patients that more women play sports, and they play more intensely. But as they continued to do more studies, they are finding that women's higher rate of ACL is probably due ...

    Read More

  • Perspective of Nick Carraway, Narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    1535 Words  | 4 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, indeed his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father's words about Nick's "advantages", which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were spiritual or moral advantages. Nick wants his reader to know that his upbringing gave him the moral fiber with which to withstand and pass judgment on an amoral world, such as the one he had observed the previous summer. He says, rather pompously, that as a consequence of such an upbringing, he is "inclined to reserve all judgments" about other people, but then goes on to say that such "tolerance . . . has a limit".

    Read More

  • Fitzgerald's Use of Language in The Great Gatsby

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    When he first walks in Nick judges Tom and Daisy's lives based on the appearance of the house, perfect and romanticized, yet he soon learns that this first impression is an overstatement. Nick's use of diction such as 'fragilely bound' (12) and 'French windows' (12) connote that their lives may look perfect on the outside but in reality they're brittle on the inside, since the words fragile and French suggest that their lives are breakable. His choice of diction also suggests an impersonal feel to the house, as if the people inside it are living a bland and dull life. As Nick walks farther in he compares the 'frosted wedding cake of the ceiling' to the 'wine- colored rug' implying both Purity and corruption. He views the cake-ceiling as pure since wedding cakes denote the meaning of innocence and purity but compares the innocence with wine which suggests corruption and impurity. Again, this comparison shows that Tom and Daisy's lives look pure as cake, however in reality their life is as corrupted as wine.

    Read More

  • Women Hollering Creek

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the story "Woman Hollering Creek" Sandra Cisneros discusses the issues of living life as a married woman through a character named Cleofilas; a character who is married to a man who abuses her physically and mentally .Cisneros reveals the way the culture puts a difference between a male and a female, men above women. Cisneros has been famous about writing stories about the latino culture and how women are treated; she explain what they go through as a child, teen and when they are married; always dominated by men because of how the culture has been adapted. "Woman Hollering Creek" is one of the best examples. A character who grows up without a mother and who has no one to guid and give her advise about life.

    Read More

  • Law Enforcement Cameras an Invasion of Privacy

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    The past decade has seen a proliferation of law enforcement security cameras in public areas, with central London having more cameras than any other city. In cities like New York, Los Angeles, and central London, cameras can be found at almost every intersection. Terrorist attacks have been a major basis for this significant increase in law enforcement security cameras; however, privacy advocates, along with many of the public, feel that it’s an invasion of privacy. People are concerned that all this video surveillance, which is continuously expanding, has created a “Big Brother” society, where people are constantly watched. This creates paranoia and unease for people that just want to go about living there private lives, without feeling that their every move is being watched. The increased presence of surveillance cameras is almost compared to George Orwell’s novel from 1984, where he imagined a future in which people would be monitored and controlled by the government. One question that needs to be asked is: does the benefits of law enforcement security cameras outweigh the negative sides to it? Although the invasion of privacy is a serious argument against law enforcement cameras; nevertheless, it should be seen as a valuable tool to help fight crime. As long as surveillance cameras are in public places and not in people's homes, privacy advocates should not be concerned.

    Read More

More about Great Gatsby

Open Document