Examples Of Hedonism In The Great Gatsby

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“Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”‖ (59, 60) said Nick Caraway in The Great Gatsby. Nick Caraway is a savvy, intelligent man; who unlike others is able to see through a person’s want and will. He is surrounded by people like; Tom Buchanan, Daisy, Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, and Jordan Baker who seek the highest pleasures and luxuries in the world in order to mask their unsatisfied desires and pain. Nick has a taste of their luxurious and lavish habits; however as enticing as it may be he pulls away and separates himself from those of the pleasure seekers. The Great Gatsby displays many philosophies throughout the characters; however the most…show more content…
The story revolves around Nick Caraway, a perceptive man, and his perspective of the hedonistic, self-serving behaviors of the people that surround him. Books, books, books. It is what captivates minds and pushes thoughts to roam free from only having read a few lines. Authors purposely mention tiny details here and there, trying to allure readers into a new world. However, sparks ignite as judgment and reasoning rise from the ashes when readers begin to read between the lines. It is the various philosophies the author portrays that lets readers wonder and ask if that was the sole reason to writing the story. Although, everyone perceives stories differently, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a world-wide known exception. Fitzgerald questions the reader’s morality throughout the plot and through the surprising characters themselves. Moralism, according to Webster Dictionaries, is the practicing and expressing beliefs about what is good behavior and what is bad behavior. The morality of the characters and some specific events catches the reader’s eyes because it not only questions their beliefs but it draws them in to wanting to know the outcomes of such…show more content…
"There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars", says Nick in his description of his neighbor’s, Gatsby’s, parties (Fitzgerald, 39). Gatsby provided the best of the best entertainment, food, and drinks for his guests, proving to the readers that he was a wonderful, giving host. However, readers will notice that his “guests” actually take advantage of his expenses during the parties. None of the guests show restraint, hence immorality from his parties. For example, “Owl Eyes”, a drunken man that Nick had met earlier at the party, decides to drive and ends up crashing his car into a ditch at two in the morning. Besides “Owl Eyes”, Nick characterizes the surrounding people to the readers as shallow due to their abrupt presence and unknowing of who the actual host is. Many people show up based on people who knew Gatsby and followed “the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks” (Fitzgerald, 41). Instead of respecting Gatsby’s house, many destroy it unconsciously with their actions from drinking and dancing uncontrollably. They disregard any good choices while at Gatsby’s
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