Morals In The Awakening, By F. Scott Fitzgerald
Morals in society are often the distinguishers between good and bad; however they seem to consistently be absent within the literary texts. After Daisy’s rejection of Gatsby at a hotel in New York City, Tom, Jordan, and Nick ride back home. Along their way, they encounter a crash in front of Wilson's gas station. After recognizing the body Tom displays the proper amount of remorse. Before this, however, he approaches the situation with an amused tone, “Wreck! That’s good. Wilson’ll have a little business at last” (Fitzgerald 137). Even in jest this reaction not an appropriate response. A death being referred to as a favorable event can never be ethically uttered. Furthermore in The Awakening, Edna has undergone her sexual awakening. She appears
to be beyond the opinions of others and only cares for her own self as expressed in, “But among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there were neither shame or remorse. There was a dull pang of regret because it was not the kiss of love which had inflamed her” (Chopin 84). Edna has finally done it, she has been unfaithful to her husband and broken the image of mother-wife/Madonna she struggled to maintain. It is logical, but Edna does not worry about what others think nor does she feel ashamed. What she does feel is remorse because she had not been with the man she had wished it to be. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is unexpectedly murdered by Wilson point-blank after Tom informs him the car that ran over his wife was Gatsby’s. Nick attempts to gather an audience for the funeral and when he receives a phone call he hopes to finally have some luck but he is wrong, “What I called up about was a pair of shoes I left there. I wonder if it’d be too much trouble to have the butler send them on” (Fitzgerald 169). This is perhaps one of the most incredulous moments within the novel. A man has died and the appropriate response would be a sullen one, not a rejection of the funeral invitation and a plea to find lost shoes. Among others, this instance bring to question whether anyone in this novel has any shame.
to be beyond the opinions of others and only cares for her own self as expressed in, “But among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there were neither shame or remorse. There was a dull pang of regret because it was not the kiss of love which had inflamed her” (Chopin 84). Edna has finally done it, she has been unfaithful to her husband and broken the image of mother-wife/Madonna she struggled to maintain. It is logical, but Edna does not worry about what others think nor does she feel ashamed. What she does feel is remorse because she had not been with the man she had wished it to be. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is unexpectedly murdered by Wilson point-blank after Tom informs him the car that ran over his wife was Gatsby’s. Nick attempts to gather an audience for the funeral and when he receives a phone call he hopes to finally have some luck but he is wrong, “What I called up about was a pair of shoes I left there. I wonder if it’d be too much trouble to have the butler send them on” (Fitzgerald 169). This is perhaps one of the most incredulous moments within the novel. A man has died and the appropriate response would be a sullen one, not a rejection of the funeral invitation and a plea to find lost shoes. Among others, this instance bring to question whether anyone in this novel has any shame.