The Great Gatsby Analysis

The subliminal collapse of self-morals is evident in The Great Gatsby through several of its characters and is mirrored in the east coast society of the twenties. The characters in The Great Gatsby though spoiled with riches, do not stray far from their self-serving goals to do anything other that to look out for their own self-interests. It seems as if no character in the book, besides Nick, ever give thought to the results of their actions beyond their own initial perceptions of the situation. All discernible characters in this book project a true form of cultural ignorance that prevents them from progressing through their lives constructively. Society, as portrayed in The Great Gatsby, seeming to drift around in a vast ocean of deceitful personalities and social dilemmas ultimately leading to an inevitable collapse of this artificially propped up society. The Great Gatsby shows a great deal of cultural selfishness and subliminal social ignorance. The characters in the book do not really care for much beyond themselves and their immediate needs. Even Gatsby, a man who seemingly did everything for one cause, did not consider the other possibilities of Daisy’s romantic situation or her emotional state of being. He was too focused on the nothingness that created him and projecting this image of searching and waiting all these years. Gatsby is even unsatisfied with Daisy when he finally meets her again due to her past love with Tom. “Oh, you want too much!’ she cried to Gatsby. ‘I love you now – isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past.’ She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once – but I loved you too.” This shows very presently that Gatsby is disregarding Daisy’s current situation and romantic situation, selfishly dwelling on her past, showing his subliminal social ignorance.
Daisy and Jordan show their cultural selfishness and subliminal social ignorance throughout the book, and Fitzgerald symbolizes it through vivid imagery in peculiar situations.