Examples Of Ambiguity In The Great Gatsby

Graham Larsen Mrs. Wasserman Honors English 11 13 May 2024

Moral Ambiguity In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, a few characters show moral ambiguity. These characters' behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good. Out of all of these characters, Jay Gatsby stands out the most. His actions and personality play a significant role in developing the story's plot as a whole. Gatsby's prevalent moral ambiguity is shown through his obsession with Daisy Buchanan, his mysterious past life, and his rags to riches story. Throughout the story, Gatsby's obsession with Daisy Buchanan contributes heavily to his moral ambiguity. The connection between Daisy and Gatsby became known early in the novel when Daisy

Gatsby's obsession with reuniting with Daisy changed his way of living forever. Gatsby says “He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God” (Fitzgerald 11). After Gatsby met Daisy, he made it his mission to spend the rest of his life loving her. However, Daisy married a wealthy man soon after Gatsby left for the war. When he returned, he went to great lengths to try to live up to Daisy's standards. He put all of his energy and time into the process of winning Daisy over. Gatsby was willing to lie about his history and manipulate those around him to reach his goal of reconnecting with Daisy. This reveals Gatsby's moral ambiguity because it shows his blindness of reality and selfishness to achieve his longing goal, but also hints that there is something deeper between Gatsby and Daisy. The obsession almost excuses the less pure actions Gatsby takes. Gatsby is doing everything in his power to show his true, genuine love for his long lost lover. Furthermore, Gatsby's character being presented as mysterious and unknown plays a role in his moral ambiguity. Very few

We know little about Meyer Wolfsheim, a business friend of Gatsby’s, who may have been involved in illegal actions that made Gatsby his money. Gatsby describes Meyer Wolfsheim as “the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919” (Fitzgerald 73). This further solidifies Gatsby’s suspicious criminal history because he has a relationship with a man who rigged one of the biggest sports events in history. Additionally, Gatsby being stopped by the police with no consequence shows his wealth and unexplainable privilege in society. This incident highlights the corruption of the time period and how money can change the way a person acts. Gatsby’s connection with law enforcement was questionable, with speculation that many of his past dealings were illegal. These actions and events put into question whether Gatsby is an authentic and moral character. Nobody knows whether Gatsby's actions are justified by determination and high aspirations of achieving his goal, or purely evil, including manipulation and selfishness. Gatsby's self-made rags to riches story additionally contributes to his moral ambiguity. Gatsby seems to be living the American Dream. He presents himself as a hard working man who came from a poor, lost family,