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The Great Gatsby Persuasive Essay

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Jonathan Morris Ms. Ward English 11 13 May 2024 The Great Gatsby Is an Effective Negative Example To many people The Great Gatsby is only a boring, dusty classic forced on them by English teachers. I, however, discovered that it is a cautionary and instructive tale about living life in all the wrong ways. The characters of The Great Gatsby are deplorable and disgusting in many ways; that is why they were such great teachers to me. The Great Gatsby served me through negative examples, showing me exactly how to not live my life as a Theologian of the Cross. Anyone who wants to live as a Theologian of the Cross can compare themselves to the events and people in this book. If they are doing the opposite of what is depicted here, then they are likely …show more content…

I observed in this book and in my life that selfishness hurts people, including the perpetrators. Tom cheats on Daisy, but despite not caring about her, he still tries to keep her from Gatsby because her leaving him could cause a scandal and ruin his reputation. Daisy leaves Gatsby at the end and returns to Tom, not as an act of repentance for cheating, but because she loses interest in Gatsby, wants to cover up her affair, and would regain the stability of Tom’s “old money.” All other people are unconditionally loved creations of God, not obstacles or tools to be used as the characters of The Great Gatsby believe. Because of this book, I will also be very self-aware of myself so that I do not fall prey to an excessively indulgent or gluttonous lifestyle. This means staying away from things like overeating, alcohol abuse, tobacco, and drugs. The behavior of guests at Gatsby’s parties is often described as indulging in self-destructive behavior involving alcohol and intoxication. Along with many other characters, Myrtle impulsively purchases flamboyant luxuries with Tom’s …show more content…

These earthly things fall away and leave Gatsby with nothing that matters to him. Any goal made without a God-pleasing motivation is fruitless and causes harm in the lives of the perpetrator as well as the lives of those around them. I will live my life for eternal things, not the temporary dust in the wind that worldly people always chase. I will ensure that my life has real meaning and counts in the scope of eternity by setting goals for myself that will help to further God’s Kingdom. The Great Gatsby served as an excellent “what not to do” guide for God-pleasing, wholesome living as a Theologian of the Cross. The characters of The Great Gatsby either hold twisted moral beliefs or simply have none that actually affect their lives, especially regarding relationships, wealth, and indulgence. Many characters also present false versions of themselves to manipulate others and take advantage of them. The goals held by the characters of The Great Gatsby are based on material or social gain and therefore are vain, selfish, and detrimental to everyone involved. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to see the consequences of doing something the wrong

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