The Human Condition In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Classical Greek philosopher, Plato, once stated that “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” Plato may have been trying to suggest that when man gains power, whether it be through deep-rooted social stratification or the like, it is part of the human condition to abuse it in an attempt to retain that very privilege. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby further inspects this concept of the human condition by conveying the theme, through the important moment of the dinner party at Tom and Daisy’s mansion, that inequality, whether it be a result of social stratification or gender disenfranchisement, causes both those with power and without to dispossess their morality and as a consequence to forfeit valuable human relationships …show more content…
There is an evident sense of male dominance and female suppression within the novel, “Tom’s got some woman in New York.” Here, the diction of the verb “got” has deep-rooted connotations of possession and ownership, suggesting that Tom owns this woman. In addition to this the adjective “some” suggests that the woman is unimportant compared to Tom, whose name is specified, but also that the woman is not special but instead easily replaceable. This particular loss of power for the feminine causes characters like Daisy to feel that the only way to gain dominance over others is through imprudent behaviour “I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” The superlative “best” suggests that being a “fool” is a positive and intelligent thing for a woman to do as it will benefit their own cause of gaining more superiority by doing things such as marrying a wealthier man or the like. However, the syntax of the sentence, which includes an opinionated phrase followed by a profound declarative statement, creates a tone of sombreness, which combined with this superlative also suggests that this is the only way to success for a woman in this male-dominated society. Although not quite suggesting a desertion of morality, the diction of the noun “fool” has negative connotations of one not acting in line with their values and instead being ignorant as to the repercussions of their actions. Fitzgerald may be attempting to communicate to the reader that our lust for authority and ascendency cannot be stifled by the oppression of society. Furthermore, this desire may be so strong that women, in this case, who are oppressed, will deprive themselves of their dignity and possibly morality, in cases of adultery, to simply drink from the chalice of power, albeit