Role Of Morality In The Great Gatsby

Words: 743
Pages: 3
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Adam Hardy
Mr. Hudson
English-2
October 23, 2015
Money’s Morality The majority of people with self respect have a set of morals or ethics that they live by. These morals create a life that is somewhat respectful and ethical depending on your philosophy on life. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the characters completely disregard any form of morality in their life. The characters constantly make decisions that are completely unethical without a second thought. Jay Gatsby attempts to steal another man’s wife and bootlegs money while Tom Buchanan cheats on his wife with a woman who is also married. Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, morals and ethics are rarely taken into consideration in each of the characters lives because …show more content…
He has constantly had the mindset that just because he is wealthy, he can have whatever he want's and do whatever he wants. Tom is a selfish and arrogant person who has had everything handed to him in life. Tom is having an affair with a poor woman named Myrtle who is also married. Myrtle has been poor her whole life and simply just wants to be apart of the wealthy lifestyle. Tom, being extremely wealthy, takes advantage of Myrtle who completely disregards her Husband, a very poor man, because she want's to be rich. Tom doesn't think this is moral, he simply doesn't care because all he wants from her is for pleasure and if it doesn't work out he can just go get another women because he's rich. Tom has had affairs since the beginning of his marriage with Daisy because he can only get the pleasure he receives from cheating through cheating. Daisy describes his longing affairs, "“You’re revolting,” said Daisy. She turned to me, and her voice, dropping an octave lower, filled the room with thrilling scorn: “Do you know why we left Chicago? I’m surprised that they didn’t treat you to the story of that little spree”(Ch 7). Tom has always cheated on his wife because he thinks he can get anything with money. Cheating on your spouse is one of the most immoral things anyone can do, and Tom is open with the fact the he does it. Anyone with self respect would not be able to live with himself knowing they had an affair, and Tom has had multiple. Gatsby and Tom are two of many characters in the book who disregard any form of morality in their life. Although they might not believe what they are doing is moral, they don't care whether it is moral or not. They use their money to take advantage of people and things for their own personal benefit because they need to fulfill their
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