Role Of Morality In The Great Gatsby
Kamryn Green
Wealth, Power, and Morality in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the wealthy class that live in New York, and takes place during the “Roaring Twenties”, and era of economic prosper and recklessness after World War I. Fitzgerald highlights the irresponsibility and lack of morality that derives from wealth. Throughout the novel, there are a number of characters that abuse their wealth or power in a way to excuse their moral irresponsibility. Through Gatsby’s disputed accumulation of wealth and Tom’s unceasing trysts, Fitzgerald paints a vivid picture of two men who choose to use their wealth and objectives as an excuse for their immoral habits.
Jay Gatsby lives his life by the over bearing …show more content…
The idea of his imagination not accepting his parents shows his yearning for wealth. By using the term imagination, it suggests that Jay Gatsby, is just part of Jay Gatz’s imagination, created for social status. In the way that Nick suggests his imagination disapproving of his parents proves that Jay Gatsby, a generated ego, does not accept his parents as his own because of his imagined status and wealth. The society that Jay Gatsby wants to be apart of is based on money and power. In order for Gatsby to achieve material wealth, he finds himself strained to earn his money through unlawful activities. Gatsby displays examples of moral corruption through his acquisition of wealth. Gatsby’s business is not clear; he admits to Nick that he is “in the drug store business” (95). During the prohibition era, which synchronizes with the “Roaring 20s”, the drug store business was also known as bootlegging. Bootlegging was a profitable business and was commonly associated with gangsters, much like Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby’s business partner. Gatsby also displays his corruption of wealth and power when Nick and Gatsby are driving; Gatsby easily evades
Wealth, Power, and Morality in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the wealthy class that live in New York, and takes place during the “Roaring Twenties”, and era of economic prosper and recklessness after World War I. Fitzgerald highlights the irresponsibility and lack of morality that derives from wealth. Throughout the novel, there are a number of characters that abuse their wealth or power in a way to excuse their moral irresponsibility. Through Gatsby’s disputed accumulation of wealth and Tom’s unceasing trysts, Fitzgerald paints a vivid picture of two men who choose to use their wealth and objectives as an excuse for their immoral habits.
Jay Gatsby lives his life by the over bearing …show more content…
The idea of his imagination not accepting his parents shows his yearning for wealth. By using the term imagination, it suggests that Jay Gatsby, is just part of Jay Gatz’s imagination, created for social status. In the way that Nick suggests his imagination disapproving of his parents proves that Jay Gatsby, a generated ego, does not accept his parents as his own because of his imagined status and wealth. The society that Jay Gatsby wants to be apart of is based on money and power. In order for Gatsby to achieve material wealth, he finds himself strained to earn his money through unlawful activities. Gatsby displays examples of moral corruption through his acquisition of wealth. Gatsby’s business is not clear; he admits to Nick that he is “in the drug store business” (95). During the prohibition era, which synchronizes with the “Roaring 20s”, the drug store business was also known as bootlegging. Bootlegging was a profitable business and was commonly associated with gangsters, much like Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby’s business partner. Gatsby also displays his corruption of wealth and power when Nick and Gatsby are driving; Gatsby easily evades