The Importance Of Morality In The Great Gatsby

From a young age, we have been taught what behavior is acceptable and deemed good, and what is immoral or bad. In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the characters require questioning regarding if they should be classified as truly moral people who exhibit goodness or correctness in their lifestyles. In their society, the goals shared by all are becoming rich and fitting in, and often in order to meet them, actions are taken which harm others but benefit themselves. The author conveys that morality has little value to the characters in Gatsby because they take any means necessary in order to achieve their dreams and fail to think about the consequences of their impulsive actions.

Any morals the characters in Gatsby have are ignored when it comes to obtaining status and wealth. Jay Gatsby is a prime example of this claim, as he committed crimes such as bootlegging in order to gain money and fame. When confronted about where he inherited his money from by Nick, Gatsby replies,

I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I 'm not in either one now’” (Fitzgerald, 103). While this statement does not specifically imply illegal activity, one can assume Jay Gatsby gained money from any business in a way that was immoral. He chose to forget about conducting business ethically in order to climb the social ladder. Additionally, in a conversation with Jordan, Lucille admits that she never liked attending Gatsby’s parties, but when “he sent me a package from Croirier 's with a new evening gown in it” (Fitzgerald, 53), she suddenly began pretending to like him and was willing to go if being affiliated with Gatsby would improve her status. Jordan responds by asking, “Did you keep it?” "Sure I did. I was going to wear it tonight, but it was too big in the bust