Gatsby: The Only Honorable Character

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been praised as one of the most remarkable work of American literature. In the book, Nick – the narrator – tells readers a sad love story between Gatsby and his cousin, Daisy. However, he tells us more than that. He gives us an insight of how corrupt the upper class and the American Dream have turned out to be and the secrets lie underneath them. Even though Gatsby carries all the characters Nick abhors, he still gains his faith and respect in the end. It can’t be denied that among all the careless people in Fitzgerald’s novela, Gatsby deserves to be praised and honored.

First of all, aside from Gatsby, all the characters in the book are all very corrupt and ignorant. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, is a racist and violent man. He doesn’t hide his affair outsidt of his house. Tom even breaks Myrtle’s nose when he’s too drunk. Throughout the novel, whenever Tom appears, he always has a great deal of scandals surrounding him. On the other hand, Daisy – the dream that Gatsby strives for, is corrupt in her own way. She creates her issue between Tom and Gatsby with even realizing what she has been doing. When Daisy finally comes back to her sense, the damage has been made, it is too late now. To make the matter worse, she hits Myrtle and runs away without ever admitting her faults. Jordan Baker cheats during her game and never pays attention while driving. Even Nick, the narrator, knows about Tom and Daisy’s affairs, knows the truth about the car crash but never raises his voice. In some aspect, Nick could have changed Gatsby’s death had he said the truth, but he did not.

Nevertheless, Gatsby is also corrupt on some levels. He takes Daisy when he promises her a life full of lies. He could have pushed Daisy to the poor and dark ages. After that, he is involved in the shady illegal alcohol. Gatsby is “a gangster, ruthless, amoral, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed” (Foster 145). He tries to create the luxurious and wealthy image of himself, but fails to recognize the details of it. He wears a pink suit; he doesn’t understand the insincerity when Tom’s friends invite him for dinner. Gatsby doesn’t even read his books; the library is created just for the imitation of it. Most importantly, he doesn’t know that all the party he creates is seen as too flashy in the eye of the upper class.

Still, Gatsby is different from all other characters because he is not careless. When a girl ruins her dress in his party, he sends her a new one. Gatsby doesn’t drink; he isn’t involved in all the fun of his own party. When Daisy hits Myrtle, he is not affaid to take the responsibility. In addition, Gatsby is even willing to look at her window for the whole night, making sure that Daisy would not be beaten by Tom. That’s what should be praised about Gatsby among all the characters in the novel.

In conclusion Gatsby is a respectable and honored man in this book. What makes him stand out among other characters, even though he has some negative sides himself, is that he is not careless. His goodness outshines all his bad side, and that’s why readers and Nick are more attached to him in this novela.