Loss Of Innocence In The Great Gatsby

Words: 1495
Pages: 6
Open Document
Guiltless Gatsby: How Almost Everyone in the Great Gatsby Is, Directly or Indirectly, a Murderer

The Great Gatsby is an epic tragedy based on misunderstanding, miserably bad luck, and the naive hope of a single man, with underlying themes of greed, racism, classism, and how horrible the true nature of human beings can be. It is also a perfect example of a book not ending on a happy note: the ultimate death of Gatsby and subsequent end of the novel leaves very little in the way of solace and closure for the audience, whom had grown to know the complicated character of Gatsby before his sudden execution at the hands of George Wilson. In fact, the climax of the book is punctuated by not one, but three deaths; the aforementioned death of Jay …show more content…
Gatsby had his fair share of deceits and lies, all of which eventually contributed in one way or another to his eventual death. Gatsby’s lies, unlike those of most of the other characters, seemed to have no intention of malice or ill will, though. However, some of Gatsby’s lies played ill on his moral character. One of the reasons Daisy began to lose faith in him was the when Tom explained that Gatsby “bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter” (Chapter 7, pg. ). Tom displayed the sin of adultery with his outings with Myrtle and also evidently beat his wife, making him one of the more outwardly despicable characters. He made elaborate lies to cover his outings, such as "[that it’s] his wife that's keeping them apart. She's a Catholic, and they don't believe in divorce" (Chapter 2, pg. ). He shows little to no respect for his wife in these moments, leading to Daisy falling into Gatsby’s arms. His wife, however, was effectively a murderer and a liar who got others killed due to her carelessness. Myrtle also practiced adultery, leading her husband to murder and suicide. It is important to note that the guiltiest individuals are also some of the wealthiest, with Tom and Daisy facing no repercussions despite their equal and more egregious behaviour than that of the Wilsons. The deaths of Myrtle and Wilson are far overshadowed by Gatsby’s at the end of the book, and Myrtle’s death is barely discussed after it occurs. This shows a possible lack of empathy from the narrator, Nick, with his scarce discussion of the unfortunate deaths of two other human
Show More

Related Documents: Loss Of Innocence In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Film Essay

which are fame and money. The concept that classifies people through their status quo can affect one’s self, mentally and emotionally. This is true for the society in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, set in the 1920s, where there is an immense distinction between the elite and the untouchables. Jay Gatsby, the hero of the story, portrays the role of a man who comes from rags to riches and his success results to his downfall as he becomes ignorant of the true reality. The motive for metaphor,…

Words 1592 - Pages 7

What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses multiple symbols to convey the theme of his classic novel, “The Great Gatsby.” A symbol can be defined as a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbolism is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. A symbols purpose in a story is often to stand for something abstract…

Words 2563 - Pages 11

The Great Gatsby Light Analysis

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us,” (Fitzgerald, 180) may have been what killed Gatsby, the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The novel is told from the first-person narrative of Nick Carraway, who has recently moved from the midwest to Long Island, New York, during the roaring twenties, where he then meets the mysterious and wealthy Jay Gatsby, who is in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy. Daisy lives in East Egg, where…

Words 1051 - Pages 5

How to read Essay

west she had finally defeated her by throwing a bucket of water on her allowing her to finally return home. Chapter 3-Nice To Eat You: Acts of Vampires The essentials of the Vampire story are as followed: an older figure representing corrupt and loss of value, a young, most likely virginal women relieving her of her youth; a continuance of the life of the old man causing the destruction of the young female. This vampire idea can be referred to the literary work such as Humbert Humbert where Humbert…

Words 1421 - Pages 6

The Age of Innocence and Edith Wharton Essay

EDlTH WHARTON AT THE CINEMA In 1921 Edith Wharton sold the film rights to her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE”, for $15,000. Seventy-two years later, Martin Scorsese has filmed Edith Wharton’s novel at a reputed cost of $30 million. In 1920 Edith Wharton was paid $18,000 by the New York monthly “PICTORIAL REVIEW”, a popular journal of the day, for the rights to publish her next serial. She was at this time an established literary figure, a writer of travelogues, novels, novellas…

Words 5545 - Pages 23

Gatsby Essay - symbolism

"Explore the use of symbolism in 'The Great Gatsby' and the short stories of F Scott Fitzgerald". Set in 1920's America , The Great Gatsby (TGG) , The Lees of Happiness (LOH) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (BB) allowed F Scott Fitzgerald (FSF) to write a social commentary in the era known as the 'Roaring 20's'. In a time of the decline of the 'American Dream', FSF criticises and commentates on social values such as status, wealth and gender roles. It can be argued that ‘F…

Words 1670 - Pages 7

American Dream Essay

eam, the latter is the most common. From the 1920s to this day, the idea of the American Dream has evolved into a desperate struggle to attain a luxurious lifestyle with a large house, nice car, and white­collar job. Through writing The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald critiques this materialistic side of society that prompts one towards the American Dream; however, Fitzgerald asserts that the Dream is a hopeless endeavor that inevitably urges one down a path of greed that keeps one from living a life of happiness and…

Words 2587 - Pages 11

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby Contents 摘要…………………………………………………………………..2 Abstract……………………………………………………………….3 1.Introduction 1.1 A brief description of F. Scott Fitzgerald……………………................4 1.2 Colours and its symbolic significances…………………………………5 2. Colours in The Great Gatsby 2.1 Red—— The Jazz Age……………………………………….................7 2.2 White —— The Upper Class……………………………………….......8 2.3 Green ——Aspiration ……………………………………………...9-10 3. Other Colours in The Great Gatsby…

Words 2520 - Pages 11

Great Gatsby Review

Title: The Great Gatsby Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2) Summary: The Great Gatsby is told from the perspective of a man named Nick. Nick moves to New York to start a new job selling bonds. He moves in next door to a man named Jay Gatsby. Early on in his first summer there Nick goes to dinner at his cousin Daisy and his old friend Tom’s house. He meets Jordan Baker there. Later he attends one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties. He again meets up with Jordan and he also meets Gatsby for the first…

Words 9628 - Pages 39

103 American Literature Final Exam Essay example

Final Exam I. Multiple choice: 1% x 30 = 30% 1865-1914 1. The novels and short stories of Henry James and Edith Wharton tended to focus on (A) the tragic outcomes of impoverished characters living in industrialized urban wastelands. (B) the ordeals of isolated characters living as survivalists in the sparsely populated hinterlands of the United States. (C) the inner psychological lives of privileged upper-class characters. (D) the exploits of characters with startling accomplishments and impressive…

Words 5468 - Pages 22