Read the following excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, on Tom and Nick's final encounter in New York City:

I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.

How does this excerpt contribute to the overall meaning of The Great Gatsby? What aesthetic impact is it meant to have on the reader? Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.

Question

English

Guest

27 January, 23:18

Read the following excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, on Tom and Nick's final encounter in New York City:

I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.

How does this excerpt contribute to the overall meaning of The Great Gatsby? What aesthetic impact is it meant to have on the reader? Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.

+2

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Jaylyn · Answer 1

This contributes to the overall theme of "The Great Gatsby" by portraying Tom and Daisy as a disillusioned couple that disregards moral values and focuses on material excess. They "smash things" such as Gatsby's car and Myrtle Wilson, and are able to get away with it due to their wealthy social status.