Cultural Artifact 2: The Great Gatsby (Book)

The Great Gatsby is a classic novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is about Nick, the narrator, and his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby fell in love with Nick's cousin, Daisy, back during their teenage years. Ever since then Gatsby has been trying to find a way to contact Daisy and succeeds once he meets Nick. Daisy and Gatsby's reunion is full of emotion as all the old feelings have been drudged up. At the same time, Daisy's husband, Tom, is having an affair with a gas station attendant's wife named Myrtle. As Daisy and Gatsby's affair becomes more serious, Tom begins to take notice. At a luncheon with Tom, Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby, Tom realizes that Gatsby is deeply in love with Gatsby. After a fuss Daisy realizes her devotion to Tom who makes her drive back to their home with Gatsby as a way to prove that he (Tom) has complete control over Daisy. Daisy is driving the car when she accidentally hits Myrtle. Eventually Myrtle's husband avenges her death by killing Gatsby in his backyard.

The nature of sin in The Great Gatsby is evident in the affairs that Tom and Daisy have; both of them are rich and feel entitled to being able to do whatever they want. The nature of sin is also seen in Gatsby's life. Gatsby has these extravagant stories that no one knows if they're true or not, so some people hate Gatsby while others love him for the lavish parties that he throws. The parties and stories are used to cover his insecurities and to make himself seem better for the Daisy. Within Gatsby and Daisy's affair there is sin on many levels because of the sexual aspect of the relationship, as well as Daisy being interested in Gatsby because of his acquired wealth not because he is a good person. Redemption can be seen in Gatsby because of his only motive for living is to win Daisy's heart. Even though this is a shallow reason for living, it makes the reader pity Gatsby and want him to win because he's the underdog. Nick is redeemed when, at the end of the novel, he returns back West because of the amount of corruption within the socialite life. Nick understands that life is valuable and emotions are not to be trifled with and doesn't want anything to do the life that he was living in the East.

This novel reveals many things about the Empire. The main point about the Empire in the Great Gatsby is that the Empire sucks you in and spits you out worse off. The Empire wants you to consume its goods mindlessly like the people that were "friends" with Gatsby did. All of Gatsby's "friends" were there to drink all of his booze and do outlandish things at his parties, they didn't care about the emotions and deeper aspects of Jay Gatsby, just that he had money to spend on things of the Empire. The Kingdom is shown in The Great Gatsby within Nick who is the moral compass of the group of characters. He tries to make things right between everybody, and after failed attempts, leaves West Egg to live a life that he can be proud of in the Western United States.

1. Is Gatsby ever redeemed during the novel?
2. Is Daisy at fault for  Myrtle's death, or it is simply a coincidence that her husband's lover was the people she hit?
3. Does Nick succeed at being a moral character?