The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/term_papers/gats.txt

Text File | 1993-06-20 | 4KB | 63 lines

         The Great Gatsby: A Full Spectrum of Character


    Throughout Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, there seems to be a
broad spectrum of moral and social views demonstrated by various
characters.  At one end, is Tom, a man who attacks Gatsby's sense
of propriety and legitimacy, while thinking nothing of running
roughshod over the lives of those around him. A direct opposite of
Tom's nature is Gatsby, who displays great generosity and caring,
yet will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of running off with
Daisy. Also, in the middle of this, are various characters who seem
to sway back and forth in their stands as convenient. This range of
personalities lends itself well to a uniquely subtle interplay
between their characters
    At first glance, The Great Gatsby is merely a classic American
tragedy, portraying the story of a man's obsession with a fantasy,
and his resulting downfall. However, Fitzgerald seems to weave much
more than that into the intricate web of emotional interactions he
creates for the reader. One interesting element is the concepts of
greatness each has. For Daisy, it lies in material wealth, and in
the comfort and security associated with it. Daisy seems to be
easily impressed by material success, as when she is touring
Gatsby's mansion and seems deeply moved by his collection of fine,
tailored shirts. It would seem that Tom's relative wealth, also,
had at one time impressed her enough to win her in marriage. In
contrast to that, Gatsby seems to not care a bit about money
itself, but rather only about the possibility that it can win over
Daisy. In fact, Gatsby's extreme generosity gives the reader the
impression that Gatsby would otherwise have never even worked at
attaining wealth had it not been for Daisy. For Gatsby, the only
thing of real importance was his pursuit of Daisy. It would seem
that these elements are combined, too in the character Myrtle.
Myrtle is, as Daisy, impressed with Tom's wealth and appearance,
but, like Jay Gatsby, is stuck in a fantastic, idealized perception
of her object of affection. Even when abused and trampled over by
Tom, Myrtle continues to adore him, just as Gatsby continues to
dote upon Daisy after being obviously rejected by her. As far as
ethical considerations, Gatsby tends to prove himself a sincere and
caring person, while Daisy and Tom just destroy the lives of two
people and then leave town to escape the consequences of their
actions. Between the cold ruthlessness of Tom, and the tenderness
of Gatsby, there are also characters who appear to fit somewhere in
between on this scale. Jordan, while appearing to be a nice,
respectable lady, is seen in several instances as an accused in
cheating and is tends to bend the rules when it suits her, such as
during a game, or during her relationship with Nick. Jordan seems
to be a standard of semi-corruption, of naked self-interest, that
the other characters on the extremes of the scale of moral and
social considerations can be measured. Thus, The Great Gatsby
presents an extremely interesting set of moral imagery.
  It can be said, then, that one of Fitzgerald's main talents, as
shown in the novel, is in showing various levels of moral and
emotional development in characters, and juxtaposing them. Perhaps
it is this element that distinguishes The Great Gatsby from many
other novels with similar elements.