Robert Cuddy
Dr. Banion
AmCiv English
11 March 2016
Tragic Flaw
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” (Friedrich Nietzsche). When examining the themes of moral blindness and corruption within the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one must take into account the various illusions created by main characters in the story. There are too many accounts wherein the narrator, Nick, examines particular characters through perceived rumors and in-person conversations for the reader, yet actual transparency doesn’t exist. Some characters are blinded by such deception, and fall victim to their own naivety. …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Nick Carraway gives a glowing background and recommendation of Gatsby: “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction - Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then, there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life” (2). Nick comes to New York with a supposed heightened ability to detect untruthfulness from particular people, while also pointing out other specific flaws in them as well. Yet, Gatsby’s self- imposed mysteriousness and vast amounts of wealth deflects the thorough analysis usually done by Nick. However, as the novel progresses, much more negative information is revealed pertaining to the background of Gatsby: “The world and its mistress returned to Gatsby’s house and twinkled hilariously on his lawn. ‘He’s a bootlegger,’ said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers. ‘One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil.” (61). Supposedly, Gatsby is a descendant of a wealthy Middle West family, and is a decorated veteran of World War I (and does not necessarily have any sort of particular flaw). Yet, the longer Nick accompanies Gatsby on particular errands and missions, his viewpoint becomes more
Dr. Banion
AmCiv English
11 March 2016
Tragic Flaw
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” (Friedrich Nietzsche). When examining the themes of moral blindness and corruption within the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one must take into account the various illusions created by main characters in the story. There are too many accounts wherein the narrator, Nick, examines particular characters through perceived rumors and in-person conversations for the reader, yet actual transparency doesn’t exist. Some characters are blinded by such deception, and fall victim to their own naivety. …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Nick Carraway gives a glowing background and recommendation of Gatsby: “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction - Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then, there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life” (2). Nick comes to New York with a supposed heightened ability to detect untruthfulness from particular people, while also pointing out other specific flaws in them as well. Yet, Gatsby’s self- imposed mysteriousness and vast amounts of wealth deflects the thorough analysis usually done by Nick. However, as the novel progresses, much more negative information is revealed pertaining to the background of Gatsby: “The world and its mistress returned to Gatsby’s house and twinkled hilariously on his lawn. ‘He’s a bootlegger,’ said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers. ‘One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil.” (61). Supposedly, Gatsby is a descendant of a wealthy Middle West family, and is a decorated veteran of World War I (and does not necessarily have any sort of particular flaw). Yet, the longer Nick accompanies Gatsby on particular errands and missions, his viewpoint becomes more