Moral Emptiness in The Great Gatsby

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Moral Emptiness in The Great Gatsby Everybody, as children, was taught to always attempt to do the right thing. This includes conduct with enemies and friends, in simple and complex situations. However, in The Great Gatsby, this teaching is noticeably absent. People usually do whatever they want, whenever they want, with no thought of the consequences or repercussions that their actions will have on those around them. Their existence is a purely selfish one with all their energy going into benefiting themselves in some way or another. Although this theme of moral emptiness is present throughout the entire novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald provides a foil through Nick Carraway. A showing of moral emptiness early in the novel is at the first of Gatsby’s parties that Nick attends. There is an overly extravagant amount of food and alcohol present, and it perfectly suits the mentality of all the guests there. The people there get so inebriated that they often do not remember whom they came with or even who their spouse is. They attend parties like this every weekend, with no regard for their health or how their behavior will affect others. Many of the guests were not even invited to the party formally; they are present because they feel as if their wealth entitles them to such freedom. “Once there they were introduced by someone who knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with an amusement park” (Fitzgerald 41). These people come and go, discarding any rules there might be about attending events such as parties. They show their self-centeredness and selfishness once again through this kind of behavior. However, Nick provides a refreshing break from this behavior and only comes to the party after being invited. He also feels out of place for a number of reasons, primarily because he is inherently different than
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