Morality Quotes In The Great Gatsby

255 Words1 Page

The Great Gatsby can be a morality tale, as most human vices are present; drunkenness, corruption, lust, greed, murder, and cheating. In the period following the war, many scholars commented on the moral aspect of the Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is a moral critique of the Roaring Twenties, with its lavish parties and rampant corruption. Gatsby, himself, is a great example of this morality in play. He allows his infatuation with Daisy lead him down a path of criminality to achieve the social class that Daisy would need to be married to him. In the end this is for naught because, to quote Tom Buchanan “I think that he realises that his presumptuous little flirtation is over.” This quote is at the end of the argument with Tom Buchanan after

Show More
Related

  • Moral Ambiguity In The Great Gatsby

    206 Words  | 1 Pages

    The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides the reader with a character that possesses qualities both challenging to understand and difficult to endorse. These characteristics show themselves through the character’s desire and passion to pursue his dream. Jay Gatsby, an elusive, persuasive, and sometimes deceptive man displays such contrast in his moral foundation that leaves the reader questioning his true motives at nearly every action. There is an argument to be made that Gatsby is both great and not so great, making him the epitome of moral ambiguity. For example, Nick, another major character, who happens to be the narrator of the story, first describes Gatsby in the opening chapter of the novel as someone who he both

    Read More

  • F451 Essay

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the end, The Great Gatsby used symbolism, an interesting story, and round characters to help get the message of immorality (coming with wealth and power) to its readers. This proves that the story is in fact literature and it has remained popular throughout time. It also shows a lot about what the author believed about human nature. As an individual gains more power and wealth, the story shows them becoming more corrupt with less concern for morals. Tom and Gatsby in particular became enamored with their economic situation while people such as George Wilson who don’t have financial success seem to be fairly innocent. This teaches a lesson to the reader to keep everything in perspective no matter their political situation. In conclusion, the book did a great job of displaying immorality.

    Read More

  • Depiction of Wealth and Morality in The Great Gatsby

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    In my final paper I will argue that F. Scott Fitzgerald represents the country in relation to civilization and the city in his novel The Great Gatsby. This novel take takes place in New York City on the East Coast of the United States shortly before the start of the great depression at some point in the 1920’s. This novel is constantly comparing the fictional cities East Egg and the West Egg witch is modeled to be the two different sides of long island. The continued comparison of the society on the East side versus the West side of Long Island shows the difference that earning your wealth has on your morality compared to being born into it.

    Read More

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the tragic story of two star-crossed lovers. Fitzgerald uses the Roaring Twenties as the setting of this novel. The twenties were a time of promiscuity, new money, and a significant amount of illegal alcohol. Fitzgerald was a master of his craft and there was often more to the story than just the basic plot. He could intertwine political messages and a gripping story flawlessly. In the case of The Great Gatsby, he not only chronicles a love story, but also uses the opportunity to express his opinion on topics such as moral decay, crass materialism, individual ethics, and the American dream.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: Morality And Gatsby

    375 Words  | 1 Pages

    hide the car and with it he could hide the truth. The truth is that Myrtle

    Read More

  • Moralism In The Great Gatsby

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1920’s was a tumultuous time for a young generation in search of a little fun. After World War I, gender roles were no longer the concrete pillars of society and the roaring 20’s era was born out of the ensuing chaos. This chaos included jazz, loose morals, and the sale of illegal alcohol that would ensure this generation of rabble-rousers would be notorious. Many writers attempted to capture the essence of this remarkable time. One of the most prolific of these writers, and one of the biggest contributors to the language that now surrounds the time, was F. Scott Fitzgerald. Through the theme of the deterioration of the American dream and American morals and traditions, F. Scott Fitzgerald reflected his life in the jazz age, including

    Read More

  • The American Dream In The Great Gatsby, By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, may at first glance resemble a story of unrequited love. However, closer examination reveals the work to be much more than that. The Great Gatsby is a story about The American Dream and the moral corruption that sometimes occurred in the pursuit of that dream. The American Dream has been described as being the pursuit of happiness while maintaining strong moral values. However,as Fitzgerald vividly portrays, The American Dream seems to have become the pursuit of wealth accompanied by extreme moral decay. Greed and selfish pleasure are the focal points of the book as portrayed by the interactions of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Betrayal Quotes

    200 Words  | 1 Pages

    This line sums up the central idea of the book, which is betrayal. The reason betrayal stings so much for her because it brings back bad memories of the scandal that happened years ago in her family. That was when her father first betrayed her, by leaving her and her mother penniless and all alone in London. While he left to conduct illegal experiments on the mysterious island. The second time he betrayed her was when she arrived on the island and discovered that she was an experiment done by her mad father.

    Read More

  • Moral Destruction In The Great Gatsby

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby: The Destruction of Morals. In The Great Gatsby, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the destruction of morals in society. The characters in this novel, all lose their morals in an attempt to find their desired place in the social world. They trade their beliefs for the hope of acceptance.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Ethical Analysis

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Like God observing the world, we are the observers of The Great Gatsby. According to German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s two categorical imperatives, Daisy and Jay were unethical. Kant’s categorical imperatives state; ‘Act as if your action could be elevated into universal law’ and. Based on the principles of Kant, Daisy and Jay were unethical in several ways, according to Kant’s two categorical imperatives. Daisy used people emotionally and lacked responsibility, and Jay was manipulative towards the people around him. The Great Gatsby is a great example of a society that does not abide by Kantian principles.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Immorality and Corruption in the Great Gatsby

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald many of the characters could not be classified as a truly moral, a person who exhibits goodness or correctness in their character and behavior. Nick Carraway is not moral by any means; he is responsible for an affair between two major characters, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Jay Gatsby does show some moral qualities when he attempts to go back and rescue Myrtle after she had been hit by Daisy. Overall Gatsby is unquestionably an immoral person. Nick Carraway and Gatsby share many immoral characteristics, but a big choice separates the two. Daisy Buchanan is an extremely immoral person; she even went to the lengths of taking someone's life. Jay and Daisy are similar but Daisy is borderline corrupt. The entire story is told through Nick Carraway's point of view and by his carelessness it is obvious the narrator possesses poor values.

    Read More

  • Great Gatsby Quotes

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ben Stein’s quote: “The first step to getting the things you want in life is this; Decide what you want.” The quote is the key element of the The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, such as the point where different individuals are after something and are even willing to give their own life over it even if it seems like a small goal in our eyes.Through Gatsby’s and Myrtle’s goals, Fitzgerald illustrates his agreement with Ben Stein’s quote: “The first step to getting the things you want in life is this; Decide what you want.”

    Read More

  • Nick's Quotes In The Great Gatsby

    1707 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nick’s advantages when the novel replays his father’s advice “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’” (1) are coming from a family descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch, graduating from New Haven in 1915, participating in the Great War, traveling East and getting involved in the bond business, and working for his money and paying rent at eighty dollars a month to live in West Egg. Nick does reserve judgement in the novel because he does not speak his mind about the things he hears or sees. For example, when Nick learns about Tom “had some woman in New York” (20), he thinks Daisy should “rush out

    Read More

  • Decaying Morals in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    The moral decay of society during the 1920’s was represented through the characters in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. People became selfish as their wealth increased, and they didn’t care at all what they did to other people, as long as they ended up okay in the end. Dishonesty became accepted, and that led to a downfall of society. Because of the character’s lack of morals and responsibility, Gatsby, an innocent man, died.

    Read More

  • Morals and Ethics in The Great Gatsby

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most self respecting people have ethics and morals they try to abide by. They create standards that they live life by and construct their own philosophy with. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, morals and ethics are a scarce practice. Jay Gatsby lives his life by the over bearing morals and values of devotion, corruption, and his will to control.

    Read More

More about Morality Quotes In The Great Gatsby

Open Document