Morality In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Morality in simple terms is what we define as right or wrong. In The Great Gatsby, the lack of morality is what makes it the Great Gatsby. Your morals shape what your ethics are and based on what they are hints at whether or not someone is truthful and honest. That is how morality exists in our world today. This is the same case with the Great Gatsby, however, it is the exact opposite viewpoint. Although we follow Nick Carraway throughout the story who understands the meaning of morality and is very unbiased, we interact with several characters in the Great Gatsby that are lacking in any sense of what is moral and what isn’t. The most morally ambiguous characters are Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom. Morality is something that is greatly affected in

Not only does the couple have affairs with separate people, Daisy only married Tom for his money making her extremely immoral and materialistic. All while valuing Tom’s money more than Gatsby’s adoration for her, another example of how Daisy is corrupted and immoral by wealth. Tom on the other hand is ignorant and views himself as superior just because of his wealth and status, this can be perfectly represented by what he says in the very first chapter “Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be — will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved.” (13, Fitzgerald) Tom is clearly worried about the white race, as he himself is a white man with extreme amounts of wealth, racism is immoral. Toms's immorality can also be shown in how he treats his mistresses, “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” shouted Mrs. Wilson. “I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai ——” Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (30, Fitzgerald). It is also mentioned that Tom “accidentally” hurt Daisy’s little finger, however, we as the audience can assume that isn’t the case. Tom represents violence and aggression which is a key factor in why he is so immorally

He made the character “Jay Gatsby” to have Daisy. He bootlegged all of his money and achieved such a fake lifestyle to make himself appealing to Daisy because he loved her so much, but he didn’t love her for who she was only for what she represented, which was an extravagant wealthy lifestyle. Gatsby makes no effort in the novel to know Daisy, but to have her. “Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money — that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it… . high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl..”(92, Fitzgerald.) Jay Gatsby is immorality itself, the desire to have something so bad that you would do anything to achieve it, even if it meant scamming to get there. Not only is Gatsby immoral for scheming his money but for faking his entire life to have the American dream of being perfect in every way possible. Jay Gatsby lacks any morality because of how much he has lied and lied to be where he is now, in the