Examples Of Honesty In The Great Gatsby

Nick From The Great Gatsby said, "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have every known." After reading the beginning of this book, I have concluded that Nick was either mistaken or lying. Though Nick appears to be a good guy, he does not know what true honesty is. Many of his actions prove him to be dishonest and morally wrong.

Nick believes that honesty means being a good person, and having nothing to hide. This is not true though. For example, when Tom openly had an affair on his wife, he did not show honesty. He did not hide that he was having an affair. He was not honest; he was shameless. Honesty requires sincerity and integrity. Americans in the 1920's did not commonly have these attributes. You cannot blame Nick for not knowing what honesty is; he never knew anyone who was honest.
On page 64 he says, "But I am slow thinking and full of interior rules that act as they brakes on my desires, and I knew that first I had to get myself out of that tangle back home. I'd been writing letters once a week and signing them 'love, Nick,' and all I could think of was how when a certain girl played tennis, a faint moustache appeared on her upper lip. Nevertheless there was a vague understanding that had to be tactfully broken off before I was free." Nick goes by the emotions he has by the moment. He does not know what commitment is. He 'loved' this girl back home, but as soon as he found someone else attractive he suddenly forgot what made him love the girl back home. Now she would only get in the way of love. This proves love to Nick is only a possession, and when he did not have his possession with him, he found a replacement. It did not even matter to him that Miss Baker was dishonest and immoral. He was dishonest and shallow, but no different than anyone else during this