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I do think social position had much to do with it, Geoffrey, because you're right, Jay had tons of dough. But think back to the eve of Daisy's marriage to Tom. She had received a letter from Jay, whom she loved, and so she got bombed and said, "Tell `em Daisy done change her mine." Yet she "straightened up" PDQ and married the man from the "right" social class. And that's even before she was tied to Tom by marriage. Then again, she also had a little girl to think of, though my reading suggests that she didn't give much weight to the effect of a potential divorce on the girl. (By the way: I would bet that New York State at the time would require a showing of fault to grant a divorce; and I'll bet she would be left without money or child if she were to push Tom for a divorce).
OK, one more time. Money ALLOWS them to escape the consequences of their actions, but money isn't the reason why they're "careless people". It's the content of their character. That's why Nick says that Gatsby is better than all the rest of them. He really is. He is a man of character.
No he isn't, he was ready to take Daisy away from Tom with total disregard of the consequences, he could have cared less about the daughter. And his money was not honest- this is the trick of the novel. Was Gatsby better than Tom? Or others? Probably, but that doesn't mean he was honest and a man of character. He had an obsession to fill, at any cost.
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Jon
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Jul 20, 2012 07:22PM
I do think social position had much to do with it, Geoffrey, because you're right, Jay had tons of dough. But think back to the eve of Daisy's marriage to Tom. She had received a letter from Jay, whom she loved, and so she got bombed and said, "Tell `em Daisy done change her mine." Yet she "straightened up" PDQ and married the man from the "right" social class. And that's even before she was tied to Tom by marriage. Then again, she also had a little girl to think of, though my reading suggests that she didn't give much weight to the effect of a potential divorce on the girl. (By the way: I would bet that New York State at the time would require a showing of fault to grant a divorce; and I'll bet she would be left without money or child if she were to push Tom for a divorce).
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OK, one more time. Money ALLOWS them to escape the consequences of their actions, but money isn't the reason why they're "careless people". It's the content of their character. That's why Nick says that Gatsby is better than all the rest of them. He really is. He is a man of character.
No he isn't, he was ready to take Daisy away from Tom with total disregard of the consequences, he could have cared less about the daughter. And his money was not honest- this is the trick of the novel. Was Gatsby better than Tom? Or others? Probably, but that doesn't mean he was honest and a man of character. He had an obsession to fill, at any cost.
