Morals and American Idealism in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a story of morals and
American idealism, this being a major theme of the book, which is corrupted
by using materials as its means.
Nick, the narrator as well as one of the main characters of The
Great Gatsby, has moved to the East coast from the West to learn the bond
business. He rents a mid-sized bungalow on West Egg, where most of the
other residents have adopted their wealth, which just happens to be next to
the palace-like house of Gatsby, the main character of the story. Nick's
cousin Daisy and her husband Tom are a well-to-do couple who live on East
Egg which is right across the bay from West Egg.
This story is about a wealthy man Gatsby, who becomes corrupt, so
to say, he doesn't respect the money which was virtually given to him when
he was younger so now the great wealth is out to destroy him in a way.
Gatsby takes things for granted because he didn't have to word to
get the Upper Class status which he now has. An example of this is also
one of the main parts of the story. Daisy, Nick's cousin and the wife of
Tom Buchanon, once knew Gatsby when they were in high school together and
they had a thing going. After a while they separated and Gatsby went into
the Armed Forces. Now, at the time when this story takes place in the
spring of the 1920's Daisy and Gatsby still have a thing for each other and
their growing romance develops throughout. Taking what he has got going
with Daisy for granted, like almost everything else he's got going for him,
he begins to loose what he wants the most, Daisy.
While Daisy and Gatsby are having their little affair Tom is having
one of his own with Myrtle, the wife of an auto garage owner. Theirs too
develops throughout the story.
These two secrete relationships go and on through the book.
Meanwhile the backgrounds of the main characters as well as ideas/morals
are revealed. Then towards the end of the story everything begins to fall
apart.
Daisy kills Myrtle while driving Gatsby's car when Gatsby was in
the passenger seat. Gatsby took the blame so as not to get Daisy into any
trouble then was killed be Myrtle's husband by Gatsby's pool. Once that is
over the story ends with Gatsby's funeral and the living main characters
live on happily ever after.
The Great Gatsby is a well written book, it shows how someone can
be doomed by their self-delusion when they try to maintain an idealism
based on material values. Every main character is greatly developed as
daily events continue on so the reader is virtually drawn into the story.
Everything is understandable and there are no gaps of slow, boring reading
in the middle when the present isn't being talked about then someone's past
is developed through either a flashback or the telling of a story by one of
the characters. The content of this book is thick and juicy but well
organized like a cross-section of an orange where the slices are clearly
separated but full of juice (content).
Fitzgerald wrote this story using Nick as the narrator as well as
one of the main characters as well as other techniques to make this story
work. By using Nick as the narrator all of the action is filtered through
his head so he can make moral judgments of others and himself. This story
jumps from scene to scene, focusing only on those few incidents which best
support the total structure. For example, Nick moves to the East to learn
the bond business but his business activities are vaguely covered because
they have no place in the structure of the book. Other things that make
this book what it is includes juxtaposition, between Tom's and Gatsby's
parties, using flashbacks to reveal Gatsby's background, and a descriptive
style especially when Fitzgerald is trying to create a mood.
Overall, this book made me think of my own moral values as well as
well as the fact that I shouldn't take things that I have got for granted.
If I do then I could loose what I have got. I liked how the book was
written because it kept my attention and I followed the events fairly well.
I give it two thumbs up for content and overall readability.
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