Essay on "Great Gatsby the Moral Wasteland Depicted"

Essay 4 pages (1184 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Great Gatsby

The moral wasteland depicted in the Great Gatsby stems from the decadence of a generation of people that are submerged in a pool of greed with a limitless supply of things that bring them pleasure. The backdrop of American in the 1920s serves as an excellent backdrop for the novel because the decade saw endless parties and reckless behavior with little or no consequences. Materialism trumps spirituality because it is easier to have a good time than it is be socially responsible. This mentality is coupled with a carelessness that goes unmatched and unchecked even unto the last pages of the novel. It is easier for individuals to drink and party away any obligations than it is to face them and do the right thing. Perhaps the most significant way Fitzgerald speaks about these issues is through the setting of the lavish lifestyle. Gatsby's home, as well as the Buchanan's, provide the elaborate setting in which we can the see characters in their truest form. Gatsby's house is larger than one man could ever need and it is filled with expensively decorated room such as his "Marie Antoinette bedrooms and Restoration salons" (Fitzgerald 93) and a "Merton College Library" (93). Furthermore, his restroom is decorated with a "toilet seat of pure dull gold" (94). These homes are a welcome reprieve from the sweltering summer weather. In addition, the Valley of Ashes is a symbol for the decay that is eating away at these characters. It as a "fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke" (23). This image is a stark contrast to the lavish homes but it is significant in the novel because they characters must travel through the valley every time they go into the city.

Daisy is the character that best depicts the mortal decay in the novel. She becomes contemptible by the end of the story and we are left to wonder what Gatsby ever saw in the women. Daisy becomes involved with Gatsby with absolutely no consideration for her husband or child. Daisy is part of the generation that became corrupt by excess. They did not attempt to achieve anything great or positive; their goals were nothing more than wearing something nice, eating a delectable meal, and being entertained in a way that they deemed acceptable. Daisy is completely consumed with things and status and the most revolting aspect of her character is how she does not try to conceal this attribute. We see this characteristic in rare form when Daisy begins sobbing into the pile of Gatsby's silk shirts. Nick seems to be the only character with enough presence of mind to utter anything about Daisy's behavior. He understands how she and Tom are useless in almost every way. He states, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (184). While Daisy is not alone in her lack of morality, she stands out as one of the most disgraceful characters in the novel because of her lack of concern for anyone but herself.

While Gatsby does have his faults, he remains a paragon of romanticism and hope more than anything else. He is a dreamer but he is also an achiever. We must admire him for achieving his goal… READ MORE

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