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The Role Of Morality In The Great Gatsby

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Many romanticize the Roaring Twenties as a period of glorious excess: flirtatious hemlines of gorgeous flappers, lavish parties of jubilance, and the harmonious croons of jazz frequently come to mind. However, amidst this ostensible extravagance, the Roaring Twenties were plagued by corrupt morals, with many profiting through bootlegging and machine politics. The Great Gatsby highlights moral degradation as author F. Scott Fitzgerald details bootlegging, extramarital affairs, and murder. Among a cast of impersonal personalities, Nick Carraway features as the novel’s moral compass. An outsider to New York’s elite, Carraway notices the vast degradation of morals and criticizes the careless extravagance of the wealthy. But even Carraway is subject …show more content…

From the beginning of the novel, Carraway harbors a righteous character as he exhibits clear discomfort with infidelity: he feels like calling the police after hearing of Tom Buchanan’s affair. But when Buchanan eagerly brings Carraway to meet his mistress Carraway confesses, “Though I was curious to see her, I had no desire to meet her—but I did” (Fitzgerald 24). Although critical of Tom’s infidelity, Carraway’s feelings evolve into indifference and reveal his unstable moral standards. Nick further exhibits indifference when he fails to oppose the apathy of his companions; although upset by their dispassion, he feels no impulse to mitigate their social vices. After Gatsby is only concerned about Daisy after Myrtle's death, Carraway condemns Gatsby’s priorities. But Carraway only lambastes: “I disliked him so much by this time that I didn’t find it necessary to tell him he was wrong” (Fitzgerald 143). His refusal to correct Gatsby illustrates his willingness to allow negligence to continue, reflecting his unreliable moral character. Ultimately, Carraway’s return to the West confirms his chronic apathy. Scarred from death and the impersonality of the East, Carraway states, “‘When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention …show more content…

Throughout the novel Carraway maintains a false sense of moral superiority. He notes, “Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (Fitzgerald 59). Nick proclaims a exaggerated sense of moral superiority, overly confident in his integrity. Readers are led to question the truth of his bold profession and realize Carraway’s haughtiness. Similarly, Nick also boasts of his tendency to withhold judgement. Yet, Carraway recounts his experiences largely through harsh critiques of others. He constantly labels the elite as unprincipled characters protected by the safety of their wealth. He criticizes Jordan Baker and forges assumptions regarding her character: “She was incurably dishonest… I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young” (Fitzgerald 58). After noting her overly relaxed approach to driving he also labels her a rotten driver. Carraway irronically analyzes others constantly, exhibiting clear hypocrisy. Finally, Carraway fails to hold himself to the moral standards he forces upon others. Although Carraway expresses disgust towards Tom’s infidelity he fails to submit himself to the same criticism. Despite being romantically entangled with Jordan, Nick briefly mentions that he still

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