Behavior Vs. Environment Essay, Research Paper
There is a really direct similarity between one? s behaviour and one? s
environment. Worlds are merchandises of the environments they inhabit. Worlds evolve
and follow behaviours which are really similar to those found in their societal
clime. This is particularly true when analyzing the characters of F. Scott
Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald presents the characters in his novels as merchandises of a
society nothingness of moral unity. Since Fitzgerald? s supporters in The Last
Baron, The Great Gatsby, and Tender is The Night, succumb to the moral desert
of high society, they end their lives in failure. Fitzgerald places his
supporter in The Last Tycoon, The Great Gatsby, and Tender is The Night, in
the moral desert of high society ; an environment really foreign to these
characters. Jay Gatsby, the supporter in The Great Gatsby, is drawn into the
decadent and morally defunct society of upper-class Long Island. Daisy
illustrates the moral nothingness that exists in the Long Island society when she
discusses her girl with Nick. Daisy says: It? ll show you how I? ve gotten
to experience about & # 8211 ; things. Well, she was less than an hr old and Tom was God knows
where. I woke up out of the quintessence with an utterly abandoned feeling, and asked
the nurse right off if it was a male child or a miss. She told me it was a miss and so
I turned my caput off and cry. ? All right, ? I said, ? I? m sword lily it? s a
miss. And I hope she? ll be a sap & # 8211 ; that? s the best thing a miss can be in
this universe, a beautiful small fool. ? & # 8230 ; I ( Nick ) felt the basic falseness
of what she had said. It made me uneasy & # 8230 ; as if she had asserted her rank
in a instead distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged ( 21 ) .
Daisy depicts the moral nothingness that exists in Gatsby? s society with her
insensitive and selfish response to her girl? s birth. In add-on to this
Daisy besides depicts the snobbism that exists in this society through the manner she
dainties Nick, the storyteller of the novel. Nick makes an observation that shows the
deficiency of moral value held by the Long Island society when he describes Tom and
Daisy. Nick says, “ They were careless people, Tom and Daisy & # 8212 ; they smashed
up things and animals and so retreated back into their money or their huge
sloppiness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and allow other people
clean up the muss they had made. . . “ ( 180 ) These quotation marks clearly illustrate
the insensitiveness, snobbism and arrant selfishness held by those who inhabit the
morally null society. This society influences Gatsby? s moral diminution. The
amoral Long Island society in The Great Gatsby is really similar to the corrupt
Hollywood society found in The Last Tycoon. Again in The Last Tycoon the
supporter is catapulted into a corrupt society that is unfamiliar to him. The
supporter Stahr, has entered into a aberrant society saturated with characters
full of lecherousness, greed, and capitalist economy. The storyteller depicts the valueless society
and what it can make to decent people when depicting the character Reinmund. The
storyteller says: Reinmund was a fine-looking immature self-seeker, with a reasonably good
instruction. Originally a adult male of some character, he was being forced daily by his
anomalous place into oblique ways of moving and believing. He was a bad adult male
now, as work forces go. At 30 he had none of the virtuousnesss which either heathen
Americans or Jews are taught to believe admirable. ( 46 ) Reindmund is
representative of many of the people populating in Hollywood. Therefore the above
quotation mark proves Stahr did in fact enter into a society missing virtuousness. The moral
decay of this society can besides be seen through the characters Cecilia Brady, and
her male parent, Pat Brady. Cecilia Brady is a character of really small moral value.
She lusts after Stahr and throws herself at him while he is involved with the
adult female of his dreams, Thalia. Her male parent Pat Brady is an every bit immoral
character. An illustration of this behaviour can be seen when he attempts to steal the
production concern from his spouse. He tries to accomplish this when Stahr ( his
concern spouse ) is highly sick in New York. Not merely is Brady a shady
man of affairs he besides a capitalist take parting in the immoral act of degrading
the art of film-making to increase net incomes. Writer R. A. Gallo, makes a similar
observation about Hollywood? s cultural barren as she writes: In The Last
Baron Fitzgerald examines his construct of the modern-day barren. The
want of the Hollywood barren is cultural. Movies have become a
bastardized art signifier, exploited by the Bradys whose involvement in the? booming
circus? Michigans at the box office. ( 120 ) The behaviours of Pat, Cecilia and
Reinmund clearly illustrates the province of moral decay that Stahr? s Hollywood
find acceptable. The moral decay of Hollywood spilled over to the society of
Tender is the Night. In Tender is the Night, the supporter, Dick Diver
marries into the morally challenged upper category society throughout Europe during
the 1930? s. This upper category European society is extremely influenced by
Hollywood, and is full of mental unwellness, criminal conversation and snobbism. Fitzgerald
studies the snobbism of the society through the manner Rosemary? s observations
on the differences between the upper and the lower categories. The storyteller says:
Rosemary looked for a topographic point to sit. Obviously each household possessed the strip of
sand instantly in forepart of its umbrella ; besides there was much visiting and
speaking back and Forth & # 8211 ; the ambiance of a community upon it would be
assumptive to irrupt. Farther up, where the beach was strewn with pebbles and
dead sea-weed, sat a group with white flesh every bit white as our ain. They were
evidently less autochthonal to the topographic point & # 8230 ; . Rosemary found room and spread out
her negligee on the sand. ( 6 ) Rosemary admits that the people on either side of
the beach are racially equal, but because they are of lesser agencies they are
? autochthonal to the place. ? This quotation mark clearly shows the snobbism that exists
in Dick Diver? s amoral society. Diver? s society is besides made morally complex
by the mental unwellness of his married woman, Nicole, and the extramarital behaviour of those
in his society. Therefore, Dick Diver? s society is morally challenged. Furthermore,
Fitzgerald uses these morally aberrant societies as a strong negative influence
on his supporters. Fitzgerald? s supporters in The Great Gatsby, Tender Is
the Night, and The Last Tycoon, succumb to the moral desert of their respective
societies. That is to state that the Fitzgerald? s supporters evolve throughout
their experiences in the moral desert of high society and adop
t the behaviours of
that society. Jay Gatsby succumbs to his morally void Long Island society by
take parting in the immoral actions of his society. First, Gatsby explores an
extramarital relationship with Daisy, and descends into the universe of the
virtueless: ? So he waited, listening for a minute to the tuning fork that had
been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. ? ( 100 ) Consequently, by
physically moving out his desires for Daisy, Gatsby descends into the deepnesss of
moral licking. Second, Gatsby succumbs to the immorality of the Long Island by
purchasing into the conceited dream of that society. The dream was the good life. Gatsby
abandoned all his dreams so that he could accomplish this position. Writer William H.
Fahey, observes Gatsby yielding to the conceited dream of the good life when he
writes, ? He has lived non for himself, but for his dream, for his vision of
the good life inspired by the beauty of a lovely rich girl. ? ( 71 ) Gatsby
wantonnesss his ain dreams in chase of a conceited dream inspired by Daisy. Hence,
Gatsby? s engagement with a morally null society causes him to yield to
immoral actions. Stahr excessively succumbs to his morally corrupt society.
Hollywood? s influence on Stahr, causes him to subject himself into oblique
behaviour. Stahr submits himself when puts a hit on his spouse, Pat Brady after
Brady tries to take over their concern. Stahr, is the perfect illustration of a good
adult male driven by a bad society to make something flagitious. By Stahr seting a hit on
Brady he succumbs to Hollywood? s corrupt society. Therefore, Stahr does in
fact succumb to his aberrant society. Dick Diver besides succumbs to his morally
challenged society. First, Dick succumbs to his morally challenged society
when he pursues an extramarital matter with Rosemary Hoyt. Dick says to Rosemary,
? Oh, say that subsequently! But snog me now- love me now. I? ll love you and ne’er
allow Nicole see. ? ( 76 ) Dick abandons all his virtuousness to prosecute his extramarital
matter and hide it from his sick married woman. This quotation mark shows how Dick has succumbed
to the moral barren of his society. Second, Dick continues to yield to
his morally challenged society when he begins to imbibe to a great extent. Dick? s
imbibing job is illustrated in a conversation Dick has with the male parent of a
patient at Dick? s clinic: ? My boy is here for alcohol addiction, and he told us he
smelt spirits on your breath & # 8230 ; We manus Von Cohn to you to be cured and within a
month he twice smells spirits on your breath! What sort of remedy is that there? ?
Dick hesitated & # 8230 ; ? After all, Mr. Morris, some people are non traveling to give up
what they regard as nutrient because of your boy & # 8211 ; ? ( 163 ) This quotation mark clearly shows
how Dick has succumb to alcoholism, a disease that runs rampant among the people
of his society. In add-on to this Dick has succumb to the resentment of
society, and has become emotionally hard-boiled and insensitive. Therefore, Dick,
Stahr, and Gatsby have all succumb to the moral desert of high society.
Fitzgerald? s supporters end their lives in failure. They achieve this
failure in their lives by yielding to their morally dry societies. There is a
direct relationship between the supporters? inability to defy the moral
desert of high society and the cause of their failure. In other words,
Fitzgerald? s supporters receive justness for their immoral actions. Jay
Gatsby ends his life in failure because he is unable to stay a moral character
in his society. First, he dies an unhappy adult male unable to profit from the
potency of his wealth, because he bought into the conceited dream, of a vain a
society. William H. Fahey writes: None attentions. To be certain, in the glow of
Gatsby? s individual vision everyone is greeted as familiar ; ? Old athletics, ? he
calls them all. But he has no friends. No attentions who gives the parties. Cipher
goes to his funeral except Owleyes and Nick. ? No 1 else was interested, ?
as Nick says, ? -interested, I mean, with that intense personal involvement to
which everyone has some right at the end. ? Rich as he was, he is a hapless a
son-of-a-bitch like us all in the terminal. ( 85 ) Fahey clearly illustrates the
personal failure Gatsby achieved by purchasing into the conceited dream of high society.
Second, Gatsby ends his life in failure due to an unneeded decease. How does
he decease? Indirectly, he dies non by slaying, but by self-destruction. He dies because of
his indecent relationship with Daisy. Had Gatsby non yield to his desire for
Daisy, she would ne’er hold been in his auto and their would ne’er hold been a
hiting. Had he non yield, he may hold had a opportunity at a fulfilling life.
Therefore, Gatsby? s inability to stay virtuous in the moral desert of high
society was the beginning of his failure. Stahr? s failure at the terminal of his life,
like Gatsby? s, is unneeded decease. Stahr ends his life in failure because he
was unable to defy yielding to the moral desert of high society. Stahr dies
tragically in a plane clang and is unable to get married his one true love, Thalia.
Yet this calamity could hold been avoided. If Stahr had non put a hit out on
Brady, he would ne’er hold been on the plane to New York and he would still be
alive. Therefore, it can be said that Stahr? s unneeded decease was an result
of his ain ineffectualness to stay a moral character. Dick Diver ends his life
in personal and professional failure. His failure comes from his inability to
defy the immorality of his society. Nicole remarks on Dick? s failure in
life when she says, ? & # 8230 ; you used to desire to make things & # 8211 ; now you seem to
privation to nail them up. ? ( 267 ) Dick ends his personal life in failure because
had succumb to the immorality of society. Nicole says, ? You wear? T attention for
me any longer & # 8230 ; It? s all merely wont. Thingss were ne’er the same after
Rosemary. ? ( 308 ) This quote clearly provinces that the cause of Dick? s personal
failure was his extramarital relationship with Rosemary. Dick? s professional
failure was once more caused by his inability to defy the immorality of society.
Dick? s imbibing was the ground he was bought out of the clinic. It can besides be
assumed that his imbibing ruined his professional calling after he left Europe.
Therefore it can be said that Dick, along with Gatsby, and Stahr, failed in life
because they were unable to defy the moral desert of high society. In
decision, it can be said that one who lives among the immoral will yield to
their environment. In the instance of Fitzgerald? s supporters in The Last
Baron, The Great Gatsby, and Tender is The Night, failure is the justness for
immoral action. Whether or non this is a balanced justness is problematic, but it
is justice however.