The Great Gatsby

August 14th, 2017

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Comment in essay form on the theme/emotion/ethics of RESPONSIBILITY in The Great Gatsby up to this point, and relate this in some way to one or more of the readings you have done so far this semester. You can focus your discussion on a main character or two, such as Gatsby and Nick, or discuss several characters, even minor ones, such as Owl-Eyes and other party-goers at Gatsby’s parties throughout the summer. What characters in the book have a sense of responsibility and which do not? If you see a character who does have this sense, what, if anything, does he or she do to act upon it? Is his or her motive honorable? What characters have no sense of responsibility? Why do you think they are this way? In Chapter 7 in particular, what is Tom’s attitude toward what happens to Myrtle, and what is Gatsby’s attitude toward Daisy at the end of the chapter? Are these values respectable or not? Discuss at length, quoting from the novel as well as readings we have done so far from The Presence of Others.

Though the story of The Great Gatsby is not yet over, Chapter 7 shows certain turning points in relationships, such as that of Daisy and Gatsby, Daisy and Tom, and George and Myrtle. Thinking back over some of the essays in The Presence of Others that you have read so far this semester, comment on relationships, marriages, and character motivations thus far in the book, and how they reach a turning point in Chapter 7. This discussion could go in many directions. Perhaps you wish to discuss the marriage of Tom and Daisy and its motives for existing, and make reference to “The Way We Wish We Were” in your discussion, and/or “Making of a Divorce Culture.” Perhaps you want to focus on Tom and his views of relationships…what does he think about his marriage with Daisy, once it is challenged by Gatsby, perhaps in reference to ideas presented in “Rules About Rules” or “A Whole Lot of Cheatin’ Going on.” Whatever your approach, discuss the relationships of characters within the novel in relation to some of the ethical ideas presented in readings you have done so far this semester.

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