Great Gatsby Essay

Nick realizes from his experiences that people in East Egg are very fake and absentminded. Tom and Daisy are perfect examples of this kind of lifestyle. They are very self-centered and express no sympathy

Throughout the novel Tom is shown as someone very arrogant and abrupt in the way he talks to people and feels he has the authority to question others in an interrogatory manner. In his first meeting with Nick he

His philosophy, ‘I’m inclined to reserve all judgements…’ suggests he won’t take any characters sides, and that he will think twice before ‘criticizing anyone’. Although at the beginning we seem to put our trust in Nick that he will be a detailed narrator, we can begin to question his reliability near the end of chapter 1 when Nick says, ‘I was in and without’, highlighting inconsistent narrating skills (he won’t be fully involved in all the events that go on), and therefore, we can assume that sometimes he will step back in the novel and let the inevitable unfold. One example of Nick being reserved is in Tom Buchanans house, when he is being invited over for dinner with Daisy Buchanans and Jordan Baker. He seems to withdraw in passing conversations and ‘avoid all eyes’. This either suggests he can be unsociable and shy at times, or he is merely observing certain situations without contributing to them.

But I am slow thinking and full of interior rules that act as brakes on my desires, and I knew that first I had to get myself out of that tangle back home. I'd been writing letters once a week and signing them 'Love, Nick'...Nevertheless there was a vague understanding that had to be tactfully broken off before I was free. (64)

7. Nick thinks he's one of the few honest people he knows, why? Do you think he is honest?

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a story about a wealthy man named Gatsby. Gatsby lives a luxuriant life in West Egg of New York. Gatsby’s wealth has an unknown secret because nobody seems to know where his wealth emerged from. Despite of having so much fortune, Gatsby’s true American dream has not been achieved. In the great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald develops Gatsby as a failed American dream to show the impossibility of the American dream in the 1920’s.

Tom Buchanan, a crucial character to the events of The Great Gatsby, is how Fitzgerald presents a symbol of greed and immoral acts to the reader, a character whom is corrupted by sin and iniquity. Fitzgerald uses Tom Buchanan, a disloyal and proud character, in order to suggest some of the traits that may cause one to lose their sense of morality.

As the reader knows...nobody likes Tom Buchanan because he thinks he is above society. Nick says, “His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked—and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts.” (Fitzgerald, 20). This is a real harsh judging coming from Nick as he uses the word “fractiousness” which basically means that he’s unruly or irritable. This clear explain why nobody really likes him, because nobody likes an irritable person. But for Nick to say he’s so honest is a total lie. Even though he hit the nail on the head with the judgement of Tom, Nick still blatantly lied to the reader because he clearly judged Tom. Nick obviously doesn’t like Tom so he takes another shot at him by saying “He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward” (Fitzgerald, 7) Nick is basically saying that since he has money, he seems to think that he has the right to tell everyone in society what to do. But, this is when Nick starts judging. Nick makes it very clear that Tom was born into wealth and that he never worked for it at all.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a drama that describes the underlying hypocritical ways of Tom Buchanan. Tom Buchanan is a very arrogant man who doesn’t care for people's feelings being affected by his actions. Whether that be his wife, friends, or newly befriended people he simply doesn’t think before he acts. Fitzgerald portrays Tom as a misunderstood man in the beginning, but as the story unfolds Fitzgerald shows the true Tom. While Tom seems to be the all around infatuating man his underlying racist, cheating, and lying ways will perfectly describe the average deceptive American man.

“Is Tom most responsible for Gatsby’s death? Daisy? Myrtle? Gatsby himself? Give reasons why or why not each character is implicated in the murder.”

Jordan has had such low moral values for quite some time, which is evident in chapter four. "Daisy said to Jordan Baker...While she was drunk as a monkey, she told Jordan, Here dearis. Take'em back downstairs and give'en to whoever they belong. Tell'em Daisy's changed he mind!" (pg. 79 ln 5) "But the next day she married Tom Buchanan without as so much as a shiver..." (pg. 79 ln 19) It was evident that Daisy and Jordan were both filled with immoral value before Daisy even got married. This later begins to affect Nick as well when Nick later found out from Jordan that Gatsby was once in love with Tom's wife Daisy. This shows how Nick begins to slip because he is now part of the

Nick describes Tom as a brutish, hulking, powerful man who is extremely arrogant. He also goes on to describe that Tom is unfaithful to his

The author’s diction intensifies Tom’s aggressive and arrogant persona through Nick’s hostile narration and Tom’s egotistical attitude. Nick describes Tom’s manner as “supercilious” and his body as “cruel”. Nick’s word choice indicates that although Nick has yet to have a conversation with Tom, Nick sees Tom as assertive and insensitive. Not only does Tom appear arrogant to Nick, but Tom also talks with a “gruff husky tenor” and a “harsh, defiant wistfulness.” Nick’s description of Tom’s voice further stresses Tom’s intimidating personality and his arrogant manner. Not only does Fitzgerald’s word choice show Nick’s impression of Tom,

3.Tom Buchanan was once a member of Nick's Yacht Club. Nick describes Tom as an arrogant, hypocritical bully. Nick also doesn’t like that

I notice that Nick is inquisitive and quiet. Chapter one really describes his tolerance and open-mindedness, along with being highly moral. Nick took his father’s advice “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…” “just remember that all the people in this world haven;t had the advantages that you’ve had.” to heart and that this comment is important to him.