The Moral and Social Consequences of the Pursuit of Happiness in The Great Gatsby and Its Impact on Individual Characters
The Moral and Social Consequences of the Pursuit of Happiness in The Great Gatsby and Its Impact on Individual Characters
The Great Gatsby offers a profound commentary on the consequences of the pursuit of happiness in a society driven by materialism, ambition, and self-interest. Through its characters, Fitzgerald illustrates the moral and social consequences of seeking fulfillment through wealth, status, and the idealized American Dream.
Jay Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of happiness—symbolized by his desire for Daisy—is based on a distorted view of the American Dream. Gatsby believes that wealth will enable him to recapture a perfect past with Daisy and attain the happiness he so desperately seeks. However, his obsession with this unattainable goal leads him to moral corruption, isolation, and eventual death. Gatsby’s misguided pursuit highlights the dangers of sacrificing integrity for the sake of achieving personal desires, showing that the pursuit of happiness can have devastating consequences when it is rooted in illusion.
Tom and Daisy Buchanan, while seemingly living lives of luxury, also suffer from the moral consequences of their pursuit of happiness. Tom’s affair with Myrtle Wilson and Daisy’s emotional indifference to both Tom and Gatsby expose the emptiness and moral decay within their privileged world. Despite their wealth, Tom and Daisy are morally bankrupt, using their status to avoid the consequences of their actions and perpetuating a cycle of self-interest and disillusionment.
Through the characters’ struggles, The Great Gatsby critiques the idea that material success and social status lead to true happiness. The novel suggests that the pursuit of happiness through wealth and superficial achievements is ultimately hollow and can result in moral and emotional ruin.
