Morality And Selfishness In The Great Gatsby

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Morality and Selfishness in The Great Gatsby
F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby puts forward the implication and treatment of women. Through the three main female characters, Jordan Baker, Myrtle Wilson, and Daisy Buchanan, it comments on the relationship between morality and selfishness. The story suggests that women’s empty morals lead to selfishness; therefore men disempower women
The portrayal of women as dishonest and insensitive individuals is shown through Jordan. The narrator, Nick Caraway, becomes aware of Jordan’s “incurably dishonesty”(64) in their first meeting, as he recognizes Jordan’s face from a professional golf player who cheats (14). However, Nick states “dishonesty in a women is a thing you never blame deeply “(64).
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Daisy’s nonexistent role as a mother and her nonchalant affection when she kisses and compliments Gatsby implies she is morally empty as she plays with Gatsby’s feelings, despite her commitment to Tom and plays around her motherly responsibilities; Daisy admits she never “…[intends] doing anything at all” with Gatsby and would ever leave Tom for him (141). The scene in which Tom and Gatsby argues over Daisy’s love shows the dominance of men when Tom says, “[Daisy] is not leaving me!” after which Daisy drives Gatsby’s car and accidently kills Myrtle (142). Daisy’s inability to expose that she murders Myrtle leaves Gatsby to face her consequences; this shows her lack of morality leads her to selfishly take advantage of Gatsby’s unrequited love to avoid the reality of her mistakes and responsibilities (154). Moreover, Daisy’s lack of morality and selfishness is shown in her affair and Pammy’s unfortunate upbringing; she enjoys being wooed by Gatsby’s wealth because it builds her self-esteem and it leads him into a false hope for their old love, thus she gets away from her murder, resulting in Gatsby’s unjustified death
In The Great Gatsby it shows the birth of selfishness from the lack of morality. Ultimately, the story suggests that women’s empty moral leads to selfishness, opening a door for men to disempower women. A further analysis of the novel could be a psychoanalysis on Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan’s motives and

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