Examples Of Ambivalence In The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, its protagonist, Nick, possesses a chronic ambivalence towards life. Throughout the novel, he claims to hold himself to a higher moral standard, reserving judgments and being aware of the crude nature of life. Despite this, he does not follow through on his beliefs, continuing to stay in West Egg and surrounding himself with people that immerse themselves in opulent lifestyles. This ambivalence is seen in his attitude toward the East Coast culture, Gatsby, and the Buchanan family. Nick’s chronic ambivalence towards life is first shown in his attitude toward the East. Being from the Middle West, Nick sees himself as different from North Easterners for possessing moral values: “That’s my Middle West

I’m surprised that they didn’t treat you to that story?’ (Pg.131). For example, they abuse their wealth to neglect their daughter: “The next April Daisy had a little girl, and they went to France for a year.” After having their daughter, they continued their lifestyle of excess. And through, their utter lack of self-awareness as to how their actions impact others is symbolized through the Valley of Ashes: “...between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter mile…This is a valley of ashes” (Pg.24). Despite this, Nick continues to spend time with them, attending parties and going out together. However, after Nick attends a dinner at the Buchanan’s house, he remarks being “confused and a little disgusted as I drove away.”He further comments, “It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in arms — but apparently there were no such intentions in her head. As for Tom, the

He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.” While this conflicts with the identity Nick thought Gatsby had, as well as Nick’s belief in personal integrity, this does not cause his opinion of him to waver. He states that Gatsby only told him when “I had reached the point of believing everything and nothing about him” (Pg.101). Nick sees it as Gatsby clearing rumors and attempting to keep his name straight, which Nick takes as a form of