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Examples Of Ambiguity In The Great Gatsby

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In the novel The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, the author insinuates Gatsby is a morally ambiguous character. Fitzgerald supports this claim by the description of Gatsby’s decisions, his words, and the way Nick describes Gatsby, resulting in a more complex and deeper story. Through the choices Gatsby has made, the words he used, and how Nick illustrates Gatsby, it is shown that he is an ambiguous character. First, Gatsby’s choices and actions reveal his moral ambiguity. An example would be the decisions he’s made to become wealthy. Tom brings up that, “‘He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far from wrong.’” (pg 133) During an argument between Tom and Gatsby, Tom shares with everyone that Gatsby is a bootlegger, and that is how he gets his …show more content…

An example would be what he says in response to learning about Myrtle’s death. After Myrtle’s death, Gatsby asks, “‘Was she killed?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘I thought so; I told Daisy I thought so. It’s better that the shock should all come at once. She stood it pretty well.’” (pg 143) Gatsby finds out Myrtle has died from Nick and only seems to care how Daisy handled it. Gatsby’s lack of empathy towards Myrtle and concern for Daisy immediately makes him morally ambiguous because he cares for Daisy and helps her, but shows no concern or worry about what happened to Myrtle. This causes us to question what he thinks is right and wrong. An additional example would be his kind words to Nick. When Gatsby first met Nick he said, “‘If you want anything just ask for it, old sport,’ he urged me.” (pg 48) Gatsby is saying to Nick that he can help him with anything and depend on him. Gatsby shows he cares, but lies to everyone throughout the story, which makes him morally

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

This was very confusing for Gatsby because he was getting mixed signals which just drove him crazier and more willing to do anything for Daisy. Later in the book, after Daisy hits Myrtle with the yellow car, she runs away. She doesn’t say anything to Gatsby, she doesn’t try to take the blame for him, she just leaves. “I suppose Daisy will call too.” He looked at me anxiously, as if he hoped I’d corroborate this” (Fitzgerald 118).

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922 Words | 4 Pages

(284) This quote shows Tom undermining Gatsby’s wealth -- bootlegging isn’t as honorable as old money -- as he’s growing less patient with Gatsby’s attention to Daisy, and wants to get under his skin, so he can find out about the other illegal ways Gatsby’s earned his

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1444 Words | 6 Pages

In The Great Gatsby all of the characters are immoral in one way or another. When coming to the conclusion of Nick Carraway being the most moral, it came to deciding which character was the most neutral. The beginning of the book sets the scene, and gives the reader background information about Nick Carraway and his past. The readers learn how he grew up, lessons his father taught him, and many of his core values. “I'm inclined to reserve all judgments,” (1).

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1035 Words | 5 Pages

After the affair between Daisy and Gatsby, as well as Tom and Myrtle was discovered, Tom and George made different decisions in how they dealt with the affair. Tom and Daisy decided to move away with their daughter to avoid their problems and guilt and hide in their wealth, but George on the other hand made the terrible decision to take “justice” into his own hands. After Tom told George Gatsby was the one having the affair with Myrtle and is who ran Myrtle over, George decided to go to Gatsby’s house and shoot Gatsby which ended in his death, and proceeded to kill himself in the same fashion. “They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

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670 Words | 3 Pages

The hippocratic character of Tom is prevalent throughout the book as he becomes enraged with Daisy for having an affair with Gatsby, despite his long lasting affair with Myrtle. In addition, this is seen yet again when Tom grows infuriated with Gatsby after discovering his wealth comes from selling illegal alcohol while throughout the book, Tom frequently enjoys the pleasures of this illegal substance. While it is clear Tom, who is part of the upper class, has skewed morals himself, his true imorality is evident preceding the death of Myrtle Wilson. Following the death of Myrtle and Gatsby, Nick questions whether Tom has been affected by any of this in which Tom responds that he is infact distraught. However, Tom is not particularly upset by the death of Gatsby, rather upset because his “toy” Myrtle is not longer alive leaving him nothing else to play with.

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1081 Words | 5 Pages

After his altercation with Tom, Daisy yells at them and drives them home, killing Myrtle. Gatsby conceals the fact that Myrtle was murdered by her husband because he is still convinced that Daisy loves him. When we are too certain, we become closed off to new information and ideas and may miss out on valuable opportunities for growth and

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619 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby’s desire for affluence conveys how pursuing materialistic wealth can lead to loss of morality as well as abnormal and deranged actions. Gatsby’s path to being perceived as an upscale wealthy man was not the morally correct way. The goal of Gatsby’s future is to become rich enough to qualify to be Daisy’s significant other. In order to obtain this wealth and status, he had to be deceptive. Implying Gatsby’s low morals, Hacht remarks, “Of course, to become Jay Gatsby, James Gatz had to lie to the public, in essence creating the illusion of the

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569 Words | 3 Pages

The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates a morally ambiguous character that can’t be defined as strictly good or evil. Moral ambiguity is the driving force towards Gatsby’s actions. The character Gatsby demonstrates morally ambiguous qualities that initiate plot throughout the whole novel. Morally ambiguous choices can be viewed towards Gatsby’s character throughout the novel. The first glimpse of Gatsby is introduced in the first chapter while Nick is “exempting him from his reaction” of a “uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever” already placing Gatsby in a position of moral ambiguity (Fitzgerald 2).

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719 Words | 3 Pages

Not black, not white, but grey all over. Moral ambiguity is a euphemism used when a character or situation has moral elements, but it is unclear whether they are morally correct. Its usage in literature is both confusing yet intriguing to readers as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, follows the life of the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby through the perspective of narrator Nick Carraway. As the novel explores the shallow materialism of the Roaring Twenties, it focuses on how Gatsby’s pure intentions of pursuing his love interest, Daisy Buchanan, ultimately leads to immoral inclinations by leaving a trail of pain for those around him as well as himself. Gatsby’s moral ambiguity reveals how just like many others in the materialistically-driven

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829 Words | 4 Pages

(Fitzgerald 132) Although they once had a beautiful relationship, Gatsby is trapped in the past and can not move on. He is so controlled by the idea of rekindling what they once had, that he causes a huge fight to break out, which ultimately leads to Myrtle's death and Gatsby's death. His naiveness, dishonesty and rage when he is unable to win

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438 Words | 2 Pages

That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t wrong.” Tom gathered too much offensive information about him, and the more Tom talks the worse it seems for everyone to realise. Tom found out that Gatsby, Wolfsheim and others were involved in other illegal activities.

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731 Words | 3 Pages

In Scott Fitzgerald's ”The Great Gatsby” the sense of Nick's disillusionment is a big overarching idea that is displayed in many ways including the selfishness expressed by the characters, the corruption in the city , and the regularized cheating. The characters in the book more than not always express a sense of selfishness and a sort of fakeness and a lack of awareness for others. You’re a rotten driver,” I protested. “Either you ought to be more careful, or you oughtn’t to drive at all.

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1091 Words | 5 Pages

Wilson was clearly broken from Myrtle’s death. Daisy and Tom are more to blame here for her running Myrtle over and him giving her a reason to. George may have killed Gatsby, but he wasn’t in control when it

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712 Words | 3 Pages

Character Ambiguity in “The Great Gatsby” Throughout a large majority of fictional literature, the characters are constructed to act and react upon however the author fabricates them to be. Within the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daisy Buchanan’s character can be interpreted in a variety of connotations; her attitudes and behaviors reflect on her morality. Throughout the narrative, Fitzgerald displays Daisy as a controversial character with examples of her ambiguous personality qualities and actions.

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1659 Words | 7 Pages

If his mind is not occupied by his mistress Myrtle, he is drowning in thoughts of Gatsby’s suspected crime-filled life. “Indeed, Tom Buchanan's sources appear most reliable in his characterization of Gatsby's drug store chain as ‘just small change’ compared to his stolen bonds” (Pauly 116). Buchanan is a hypocrite towards Gatsby. He denounces Gatsby’s life actions as being morally evil but Tom’s actions are no different than Gatsby’s in the sense that both men are unfaithful to themselves and their nearest relationships. Tom is competing with Gatsby through deception and treachery, and their dangerous habits wound them

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