ipl-logo

Great Gatsby Paradox

487 Words2 Pages

The Great Gatsby highlights the main problematic peaks of the 1920s, emphasising how combatants from the war try relive the years they have lost and the silent feud between those of new money and those of old money.

Fitzgerald creates a paradox view of the story by capturing the essence of two completely different personalities and building characters upon them. The result of this paradox was the creation of conflict between the main character Jay Gatsby and the antagonist, Tom Buchanan.

Jay Gats or as we know him, Jay Gatsby is a perfect example of an idealist, optimist and a fantasist. He can be perceived as the embodiment of an over the top romance or a creepy, stalker who devotes his life dwelling on the past. My view on Jay was …show more content…

His hypocritical personality heavily impacts our view of him. We learn early on in the story that Tom is cheating on his wife with Myrtle. In an attempt to discredit Jay, Tom tries to persuade Daisy into loving him but has a hidden agenda and does not want Daisy to leave as the society will view him negatively.

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified”. Nick claims that Tom had justified his reason for telling George the assumed culprit behind Myrtle's death. I believe that Tom’s actions were aimed to discredit and humiliate Gatsby and not to ensure his wife’s protection as Nick believes. Tom had lost his lover and believed that the only way to ensure his happiness and reputation was to eliminate his rival, Gatsby.

Nick had not distinguished the difference between justice and revenge. “They’re a rotten crowd’, I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together,” tells us that Nick believed that Jay was a good man but he did not defend nor preserve Gatsby’s legacy. He did not tell Tom the truth showing us that his concern for Gatsby was very low. Nick claims he was raised in a good home and was taught morels but by not telling the truth he exposed himself as a hypocrite. Nick should've defended his friend not just for loyalty but for

Show More
Related

Foreshadowing In The Great Gatsby Analysis

1118 Words | 5 Pages

In Chapters 1 and 2 Nick states “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, … represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn.” 2. In chapters 7 and 8, Tom learns about the affair between Daisy and Gatsby. Nick points out the irony of losing both women in his

Read More

Tom Buchanan As A Villain In The Great Gatsby

794 Words | 4 Pages

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, exposes the American Society during the 1920’s. The author displays many heroes and villain throughout the book. The characters in the novel are mostly mixtures of good and evil. Although the book does not clearly delineate the villains or heroes, there is one character who tends to stand out as a villain known as Tom Buchanan. Tom Buchanan is a major character in the book.

Read More

Daisy Is A Manipulator

636 Words | 3 Pages

Gatsby manipulates Nick and Jordan just to try to win over Daisy. Which is selfish of him because she now has a husband and daughter. Gatsby does it all in the name of love. Gatsby truly believes that he can give Daisy the life she wants now that he’s successful and rich and wants her to be happy. While even though Tom is using Myrtle as his mistress in a way he still protects Daisy.

Read More

Nick Carraway A Dynamic Character In The Great Gatsby

462 Words | 2 Pages

At the beginning the plot was more of who was Gatsby and Tom Buchanan having an affair on Daisy. Nick then got invited to Gatsby's for one his amazing parties. Gatsby tells Jordan Baker to ask a favor of him that gets him involved in the plot. This favor is “ If you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over”(Fitzgerald 76). This quote from the book shows how Nick Carraway got put into the plot of The Great Gatsby by inviting Daisy to his house

Read More

Moral Ambiguity In The Great Gatsby

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).

Read More

Examples Of Deception In The Great Gatsby

826 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Indirect Characterization In The Great Gatsby

825 Words | 4 Pages

The actions Tom takes near the end of the story show how hypocritical Tom really is. For some reason, Tom is irritated that Gatsby and Daisy seem to have feelings for each other, but his affair with Myrtle is completely fine with him. To Tom, there is nothing wrong with him cheating on Daisy, but Daisy wanting to be with Gatsby is a horrid thing, even

Read More

The Role Of Deception In The Great Gatsby

986 Words | 4 Pages

Daisy was decepting Tom, who had no idea of the affair: although, Tom was decepting Daisy as well. Daisy had suspicion that Tom was having an affair. Tom was having an affair with a woman named Myrtle. Myrtle was married too. Tom and Daisy used their wealth to stay happy.

Read More

The Great Gatsby Foolishness Analysis

1014 Words | 5 Pages

Gatsby couldn't even talk to her without Nick’s presence. He needed Nick to be there and when Gatsby wanted to back out he needed the support of Nick to keep him there. For what he worked so hard for I don't understand why he keeps trying to run away like child. Nick had no “idea what “this matter” was, but [Nick] was more annoyed than interested. [Nick] hadn’t asked Jordan to tea in order to discuss [Gatsby]... and for a moment [Nick] was sorry [he’d] ever set foot upon [Gatsby’s] overpopulated lawn.

Read More

Ambition In The Great Gatsby

756 Words | 4 Pages

In the story, Gatsby is at the first portrayed as a great man, until later the book goes on and his true colors and motives are revealed. As Gatsby invited Tom over to talk, he explains how all he wants is to have Daisy tell Tom that she had never loved him. In response “‘I wouldn’t ask too much of her’” I (Nick) ventured.

Read More

Batman And The Joker In The Great Gatsby

553 Words | 3 Pages

Tom was arrogant in his ways and put himself before others. Even though he claimed to be loyal to Daisy, he could not hide his mistress from everyone. Tom was a brute of a man and claimed to be part of a master race. His arrogance and neglection of Daisy and others end up getting him into trouble. Gatsby did everything out of love for Daisy and it was as if he had blinders on and could only see a future for himself with her in it.

Read More

Character Analysis Of Tom Buchanan In The Great Gatsby

1238 Words | 5 Pages

In “The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Buchanan represents a man who is unfaithful, selfish, and arrogant. Throughout this essay, the character Tom Buchanan will be analyzed and will explain his purpose in this story as well as the many flaws he possesses which make him an unlikable person. Tom is considered to be the antagonist in this novel, but his main purpose in this story is to be the barrier between Daisy and Gatsby. Unbeknownst to Tom, Daisy eventually gets back with Gatsby but has a massive fit once he finds out they’re together.

Read More

Dishonesty In The Great Gatsby Analysis

925 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

The Great Gatsby Single Window Analysis

922 Words | 4 Pages

He leaves the two alone after realizing that they are so entranced with each other. Another example is when Nick kept all of his thoughts about the affair to himself. If he would have told Daisy, many of the problems would have been resolved. She would leave Tom for Gatsby. Then Tom could be with Myrtle instead of her tragically dying outside her husband’s shop.

Read More

Theme Of Obsession In The Great Gatsby

1303 Words | 6 Pages

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays the themes of love, lust and obsession, through the character of Jay Gatsby, who confuses lust and obsession with love. The character of Jay Gatsby was a wealthy business man, who the author developed as arrogant and tasteless. Gatsby 's love interest, Daisy Buchanan, was a subdued socialite who was married to the dim witted Tom Buchanan. She is the perfect example of how women of her level of society were supposed to act in her day. The circumstances surrounding Gatsby and Daisy 's relationship kept them eternally apart.

Read More

More about Great Gatsby Paradox

Related Topics

Open Document