Morality In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, portrays society as a desolate wasteland, immune to morality, punished by the decadence of the main characters. Throughout the novel, Gatsby pursues a life with Daisy, a married woman, who left him earlier as a result of his lack of wealth; thus, Gatsby sought to reap the benefits of affluence through illicit, unscrupulous means. Once Gatsby completes his quest for opulence, he hunts for his former lover, Daisy, who is married to Tom Buchanan: an aristocrat. Daisy’s marriage is a colossal barrier in Gatsby’s pursuit; in essence, her marriage will afflict Gatsby with the ultimate consequence. Further, George Wilson, an impecunious mechanic, slaughters Gatsby as a result of a series of events orchestrated
Essentially, Gatsby is driven toward one goal: a life with Daisy Buchanan. His aspiration subjects him to a robust insensibility toward ethics that is evident throughout the novel. For example, Gatsby was not able to conform to Daisy’s extreme financial standards since “he was at present a penniless young man” (Fitzgerald 156); therefore, he decided he must betray his conscience and “take what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously” (Fitzgerald 156) in order to progress in his arduous journey to Daisy’s heart. Undoubtedly, Gatsby has exhibited villainous traits; nonetheless, Nick reveals that Gatsby “[due to his actions] might have despised himself” (Fitzgerald 156), but ultimately the American Dream obscures his moral compass, and according to Nick, Gatsby “had given Daisy a [false] sense of security… but he didn’t despise himself” (Fitzgerald 156). Gatsby demonstrates a deterioration of his integrity due to the pursuit of his American Dream-- Daisy. In addition, Gatsby’s blatant disregard for Tom and Daisy’s marriage demonstrates the depth at which he is willing to force himself in order to satisfy his desire. He attempts to decimate Tom and Daisy’s marriage by coercing Daisy to choose him over Tom. Eventually, Daisy capitulates to Gatsby’s demands and admits she never loved Tom: “ [Gatsby] ‘You never loved him…’ [Daisy]
She is a penurious woman who desires a lavish lifestyle that her husband cannot provide; as a consequence, she indulges herself in sin in order to perceive a mere sense of luxury. Myrtle has an affair with the influential Tom Buchanan with utter neglect toward her husband, George. She deliberately treats him in a demeaning manner around Tom when Nick and Tom are at Wilson’s Garage: “[she] spoke to her husband in a soft, coarse voice: ‘Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down’” (Fitzgerald 30). Myrtle’s request is condescending with the intention of showing Tom she has authority over George. Myrtle’s unfaithfulness and glaring disrespect toward her husband, in order to please Tom, delineates her relentless, ruthless search for self-satisfaction. Moreover, the American Dream’s odious effects are further expressed in Myrtle's character through her conversation with her sister, Catherine: “‘The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in…’” (Fitzgerald 39). Her implication that George was not fit to marry her as a result of his socioeconomic status is repulsive; her inclination to marry an opulent man--her American Dream-- results in Myrtle’s amorality. In sum, Myrtle’s character represents her avariciousness’ consequence of moral corruption such that her disvalue of her husband is loathsome