Compassion & Forgiveness in

The Great Gatsby The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

Compassion & Forgiveness

Ø Characters possess an infinite

capacity to forgive.

Ø Characters possess an infinite

stubbornness not to forgive.

Compassion & Forgiveness

Ø Example: Daisy’s marriage vs. her love

Compassion & Forgiveness

Ø Examples: Tom’s cheating vs. Gatsby’s deceit

Compassion & Forgiveness

Ø  Cause of much sadness in the novel

Ø  Characters taunted

by the possibility

of forgiveness only

to lose out

to another’s

stubbornness.

THESIS

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott

Fitzgerald, the author illustrates the

power of forgiveness to heal when

offered and to destroy when denied.

Question #1

What gets forgiven and what does not get

forgiven in this novel? Why? Characters offer a limited forgiveness for

actions. The limit to forgiveness occurs

when perception fails to match reality.

Characters offer a limited forgiveness for actions.

The limit to forgiveness occurs when perception

fails to match reality. Gatsby began “denying everything, defending his

name” but Daisy drew “further and further into

herself.” Gatsby’s dream died but “fought on...

struggling toward that lost voice,” the Daisy of his

past.

Evidence #1

Nick claims in the first page of the novel that he

was told to never criticize. Is he compassionate

towards Gatsby, or does he judge the man? Does

this evolve over the course of the novel? In the beginning of the novel, Nick judges Gatsby

harshly; however, his feelings evolve to include an

enormous measure of compassion for Gatsby.

Question #2

Evidence #2

In the beginning of the novel, Nick judges

Gatsby harshly; however, his feelings

evolve to include an enormous measure of

compassion for Gatsby. At Gatsby’s funeral, Nick is determined to

“get somebody for him.” He feels distressed

that no mourners plan to attend Gatsby’s

funeral.