Examples Of Greed In The Great Gatsby - 1195 Words

Greed is a common flaw in all human beings, coaxing individuals to pour in all their effort without ever being satisfied. The ultimate goal for greed is generally achieving affluence. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s insightful novel, The Great Gatsby, wealth is portrayed as the key factor in determining whether one is successful or not. Most people value prosperity over morals and ethics during the heat of pursuing their own ambitions; yet all unscrupulous behaviors do not escape God’s eyes. By utilizing eye motif, repetitions of sight words, and tone changes, F. Scott Fitzgerald justifies that avarice will always end in vain and amoral decisions will always end in regrets. Through the repetition of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes, it becomes clear†¦show more content†¦From the pessimistic introduction, it foreshadows a later downfall. Starting from the first encounter, Nick has an indescribable feeling derived from the cogent stare. For example, as Nick and Tom slowly â€Å"walked back a hundred yards along the road under Doctor Eckleburg s persistent stare† (Fitzgerald 24), Nick feels uneasy about the inanimate billboard even though no one is staring at them. The location of the eyes, on the road half way between West Egg and New York, symbolizes the different paths of life. When one arrives at the turning point, they have their power to choose their path, but God will watch you as you make those decisions. Nick, for instance, faces the decision of whether to inform Daisy about Tom’s not so secretive affair or dissimulate the unfaithful relationship after the visit to Tom and Myrtle s secret apartment. As the decision was be ing made, God assists as a guidance. The second appearance of the eye motif serves as a warning to Nick, of all the moral consequences he will face for being dishonest. When Tom insists on driving Gatsby’s cream-colored car, Gatsby has no choice but to reluctantly agree and remind him of the necessary gas refill. Tom, being supercilious and disdainful, does not take his reminder seriously. The ride to the city is nearly silent, but â€Å"[t]hen as Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s faded eyes came into sight down the road, [Nick] remembered Gatsby’s caution about gasoline† (FitzgeraldShow MoreRelatedMoney for Moneys Sake in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald804 Words   |  3 Pagesthink one of the most pervasive evils in this world is greed and acquiring money for money’s sake. Once you have six houses and a plane, it’s just about a number. It’s never been anything I understood.† This is a quote by Kevin Bacon, a very awesome and ap parently worldly actor, and it perfectly captures the essence of the theme that I have come to for The Great Gatsby. 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Unfortunately, the acquisition of material has been tied together with happiness in AmericaRead More Comparing the Perversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman1642 Words   |  7 PagesPerversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman      Ã‚   Throughout History there are many examples of perversions, from sexual, social to the very morals themselves. One of the greatest examples is the continuous corruption of the American Dream. As the Dream evolves, it tends to conform to the illicit dealings of the time and immortals of society. No longer is an individual interested in working hard to achieve goals, it is desirous of the quick fix. Society wants its wishesRead MoreNature of Man- Great Gatsby Essay1750 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing too selfish and just trying to have a better life. Being selfish requires caring only about what one wants and not what the rest of society strives for as a whole. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it is evident through the characters that it is in man’s nature to be selfish through the act of cruelty, greed, and manipulating others to achieve a goal. It is in man’s nature to be selfish; this is shown through the act of cruelty. Cruelty is shown in the novel when Nick is speakingRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1258 Words   |  6 Pages What Killed Gatsby? Love or Greed? To certain people, Gatsby’s death was a cruel and surprising conclusion to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But there is still some mystery around the cause of Gatsby’s death. Upon meeting Gatsby for the first time, one can tell that he has an obsession centered around Daisy Buchanan, his old love, and was dead set on getting her back. Gatsby’s obsession with repeating the past is responsible for his death and Gatsby’s greed put him in a grave. FurtherRead More Fitzgeralds Exploration of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby702 Words   |  3 Pagesin The Great Gatsby F. 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Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, seeks to discredit the supposed purity of the American Dream and belief that anyone ca n attain it through hard work. Instead, he argues that the dream is a mere delusion, altered so significantly fromRead MoreFailure Of The American Dream In The Writings Of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, And August Wilson1418 Words   |  6 Pagesdefine the failure of the †American Dream† in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Zora Neale Hurston, and August Wilson. Fitzgerald’s account of the Jay Gatsby s rise to fame in the 1920s defines the failure of financial success as part of the American Dream. Gatsby will eventually die due to his excessive greed, which is not unlike the emotional death of Willy Loman as he fails to become a successful salesman in Author Miller’s Death of a Salesman. More so, Hurston’s depiction of