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Examples Of Moral Decay In The Great Gatsby

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In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the theme of moral decay is best displayed through lying, adultery, and manipulation. Throughout this piece of literature the characters morality is in constant question. The first introductions of the characters they give the impression to have morals with little fault. However throughout the novel the characters morality or ethics begin to decay and the true nature of the characters begin to arise. Fitzgerald uses lying, adultery, and manipulation to portray the decay of morality in the characters of the novel. The theme of moral decay is best represented by the excessive use of lying by the character Jay Gatsby. Gatsby entire existence is an absolute lie that he created in hopes to make his American dream a reality. Fitzgerald reveals to the reader that Gatsby was not his actual name stating, “James Gatz- that was really, or at least legally his name.”(Fitzgerald98). Gatsby changed his name in hopes that the real him, James Gatz, would have ceased to exist because he …show more content…

Fitzgerald reveals Mrs. Buchannan’s manipulative tendencies by stating; “I’ve heard it said that Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.”(Fitzgerald9). Mrs. Buchannan uses her power of manipulation on whom ever in order to get what she desires regardless of the effect it may have on the other individual. She manipulates Mr. Gatsby by saying she loves him but yet remains married to Mr. Buchannan. Mrs. Buchannan also will speak in a low tone so that whoever may be trying to hear her will have to lean closer so that they will be consumed by her and nothing else. This allows her to grasp their full attention so she may receive whatever she desires. Throughout the narrative Mrs. Buchannan’s manipulation became more severe representing the rapid lose of morals within

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“Lack of Integrity” In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald tells in his story how the upper class lack of integrity. The upper class in Great Gatsby just don’t care about what goes on in life other than what they think is important. The upper class think of themselves higher than the other classes because of their social status and if they have old or new money. The upper class lack carelessness, selfishness, and dishonesty.

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It does so by making the setting the roaring 20’s because that time period is full of moral ambiguity. It’s during this era that women find themselves becoming flappers after being suppressed for so long, the prohibition takes place, and women are gaining the right to vote. The idea of women having rights is inherently good, but to some was an example of their rights becoming less powerful and making this idea evil. Giving the era itself moral ambiguity and creating an environment where Gatsby and other characters feel obligated to throw parties where drinking is encouraged, have a man commit adultery, the idea of divorce, and dishonesty. Overall, moral ambiguity plays a large role in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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The Great Gatsby is an American novel written by Scott Fitzgerald. On the surface, the book revolves around the concept of romance, the love between two individuals. However, the novel incorporates less of a romantic scope and rather focuses on the theme of the American Dream in the 1920s. Fitzgerald depicts the 1920’s as an era of decline in moral values. The strong desire for luxurious pleasure and money ultimately corrupts the American dream which was originally about individualism.

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Michael Fecht Mrs. Myers Academic English II 5/21/18 Immorality in the Great Gatsby Money dictates how people act and how they go about their day. It is very crucial; everything costs money. In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, everyone has money. The wealth that these characters have is a must for them. they show their wealth by flaunting the expensive attire they have or throw these parties in their expensive homes.

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Gatsby’s Tragedy: Falling for a Minx The Great Gatsby, like the Great Houdini, is an illusionist. Similar to the Great Houdini, the Great Gatsby has a tremendous rise to fame and an outrageous reputation. Jay Gatsby's tragic flaw does not seem horrendous at first when compared to Willy Loman, Macbeth, and other tragic characters in literature, but his love for Daisy shows that the power of love outranks all other flaws. During Gatsby's youth, he met a girl named Daisy, who he immediately fell for.

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The Roaring Lack of Morality in the 20s Morals were not thought of as a strict moral code during the roaring twenties, and many people found them rather irrelevant. Those whom threw parties, cheated, and lied, were those who were happiest during these times. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, paints a picture of the 1920s by expressing many themes: the need for wealth, the want for love, and the act of betrayal in marriage through the Modern Era.

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The deception of the characters in Fitzgerald’s novel signifies the emptiness and artificial lifestyle of people in the 1920s. From a young age, Gatsby has never accepted the life he was born into, always seeking a way to participate in the abstract customs of the rich, resulting in his lies to convince Daisy as well of others of his rich background. Gatsby is presented as a character that has not been able to transition his life to the present day time period, keeping his eyes shut from the realities of his dreams, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!"(Fitzgerald 116). In Gatsby’s attempt to change all the features he was born with, including his name, James Gatz, he fails to realize that his dreams are not worthy of him and he will never be able to achieve them.

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The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic 20th century story -that period was also known as the “roaring twenties”- which critiques the vision of the American Dream people in general have. At that time, the idea of a free market, and industrial revolution provided the opportunity for many to seize the market and people were starting to see that they could become rich without having any type of restriction. New York city was the centre of this wealth-creating society. After the war, this movement generated new opportunities and ambitions for people wanting to start a wealthy upper class life. That period of time was all about alcohol, partying, gambling, fashion, and money.

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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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In The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, one of the characters is “stuck in the past”. Throughout the novel, Gatsby is constantly longing for a past relationship he had with a woman named Daisy, who moved on from Gatsby and married another man when Gatsby left for the war. Gatsby’s view of the past is used to develop a major theme of the novel: the moral decay of society. The novel begins with Nick, the narrator saying how the events that happened in New York, where the novel takes place, caused him to leave, and how he doesn’t like any of the people he was involved with.

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An important theme in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the corruption of morals because of wealth. It doesn’t matter if one comes from old or new money, wealth will corrupt the morality of even the humblest. The first example of wealth corrupting morals is in the indifference to infidelity between the married Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. The next example of wealth corrupting morals is seen in Jordan Baker’s actions to keep her luxurious lifestyle. Third, Jim Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth lead to the corruption of his morals.

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1659 Words | 7 Pages

Characters throughout The Great Gatsby present themselves with mysterious and questionable morals. Affairs, dishonest morals, criminal professions, weak boundaries and hypocritical views are all examples of immorality portrayed in The Great Gatsby. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, lies and mischief fill the lives of many and significantly damage numerous relationships. First, Jay Gatsby's whole life is consumed into a massive lie. His personality traits set him apart from others and the attention he accumulates motivates him to falsely portray his life.

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780 Words | 4 Pages

Set in the lavish era of the 1920’s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the wealthy, yet sinful life of Jay Gatsby. When describing his character, Fitzgerald touches upon the three deadly sins: greed, envy and gluttony. James Gatz, having grown up in a small town to farmers, wished to make more of himself. Disowning his parents at a young age, he went off in search for money, and a new identity. “And when the TUOLOMEE left for the West Indies and the Barbary Coast Gatsby left too” (Fitzgerald 107).

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The theme of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is that the upper class tend to participate in actions that are commonly seen as dishonest, unfaithful, or sketchy. Characters like Nick, Gatsby, Tom and George have twisted views on their own reality due to unfaithfulness and dishonesty. Nick was constantly lied to in the story, for example, Gatsby lied to him about where he got his money. Lies, similar to the one above, gave Nick some twisted views on the reality of his friendship. Gatsby had a twisted view on love due to Daisy marrying Tom right after he left for the war, rather than waiting for him.

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From a young age, we have been taught what behavior is acceptable and deemed good, and what is immoral or bad. In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the characters require questioning regarding if they should be classified as truly moral people who exhibit goodness or correctness in their lifestyles. In their society, the goals shared by all are becoming rich and fitting in, and often in order to meet them, actions are taken which harm others but benefit themselves. The author conveys that morality has little value to the characters in Gatsby because they take any means necessary in order to achieve their dreams and fail to think about the consequences of their impulsive actions.

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