In the book of Mathew 19:24, it reads, “Again I say to you it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for one who was a rich to enter the kingdom of God.” This verse explains that the rich tend to be corrupt, as it becomes harder for one to enter Heaven with lots of worldly possessions. Similarly in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald reveals that people who posses wealth tend to be more corrupt in nature, such as Tom and Gatsby, whereas people who lack wealth also lack a sense of dishonesty, such as Nick and Wilson.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald first uses the characters of Tom and Gatsby to illuminate the characteristic of malice in the rich. Their wealth gives them power, which they use for their …show more content…
Fitzgerald uses the examples of Nick and Wilson to display this reoccurring theme. When Nick first moves to West Egg, his house, although surrounded by millionaires is “an eye-sore” which Nick pays for “eighty dollars a month” (22). This juxtaposition with the rich and the poor highlights Nick’s lack of wealth, but later shows his stronger morality. His lack of wealth compared to Tom or Gatsby also reveals he has a much more realistic sense on his own power. Nick’s honesty can be shown in his admiration for only one of the other characters in the novel, which happens to be Gatsby. He states “only Gatsby…was exempt from my reaction” of disgust (20). Nick reveals that while Gatsby may be corrupt, he can see through to his kindness and he views him with “unaffected scorn” (20). Nick’s views are very set and realistic, and he sets himself apart from almost everyone except Gatsby. Similarly, George Wilson, a poor mechanic, shows similar signs of honesty and trust. While in the apartment Myrtle talks about her husband and says, “[Wilson] borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married” (43). Wilson’s clear poverty is apparent in the novel, explaining his clear views of himself and the people close to him. When Myrtle is killed in front of him he starts sobbing and calling out “o my ga-od” to express his devastation (122). Even though his wife cheated on him and hated him, Wilson still loves her unconditionally and mourns for her. This sadness then wells up and climaxes when Wilson kills Gatsby because he believes what everyone tells him, thus eliminating a source of corruption from the novel. Therefore, Fitzgerald uses the poor to exemplify morality and
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald first uses the characters of Tom and Gatsby to illuminate the characteristic of malice in the rich. Their wealth gives them power, which they use for their …show more content…
Fitzgerald uses the examples of Nick and Wilson to display this reoccurring theme. When Nick first moves to West Egg, his house, although surrounded by millionaires is “an eye-sore” which Nick pays for “eighty dollars a month” (22). This juxtaposition with the rich and the poor highlights Nick’s lack of wealth, but later shows his stronger morality. His lack of wealth compared to Tom or Gatsby also reveals he has a much more realistic sense on his own power. Nick’s honesty can be shown in his admiration for only one of the other characters in the novel, which happens to be Gatsby. He states “only Gatsby…was exempt from my reaction” of disgust (20). Nick reveals that while Gatsby may be corrupt, he can see through to his kindness and he views him with “unaffected scorn” (20). Nick’s views are very set and realistic, and he sets himself apart from almost everyone except Gatsby. Similarly, George Wilson, a poor mechanic, shows similar signs of honesty and trust. While in the apartment Myrtle talks about her husband and says, “[Wilson] borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married” (43). Wilson’s clear poverty is apparent in the novel, explaining his clear views of himself and the people close to him. When Myrtle is killed in front of him he starts sobbing and calling out “o my ga-od” to express his devastation (122). Even though his wife cheated on him and hated him, Wilson still loves her unconditionally and mourns for her. This sadness then wells up and climaxes when Wilson kills Gatsby because he believes what everyone tells him, thus eliminating a source of corruption from the novel. Therefore, Fitzgerald uses the poor to exemplify morality and