1. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a morally ambiguous character who plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Could anyone provide an example of a good thesis for me? I'm having trouble thinking of one. "Daisy Buchanan’s moral standards are ambiguous because..."
ReplyDeleteVicki, try to think about how Daisy's words and actions contradict each other. Also, I think using Daisy for this question will be easier as you read further into the book--it may be challenging at this point.
ReplyDeleteI already went through a lot of work to find evidence for Daisy, so can I still try to answer the prompt with her? This is my definition of moral ambiguity: "a morally ambiguous person is someone whose morals can be perceived in more than one way and it is unclear what he or she believes." This is my thesis: "Daisy Buchanan’s moral standards are ambiguous because her actions contradict each other and it is difficult to determine whether she is mostly decent or mostly immoral." Is it too long?
ReplyDeleteI'd incorporate the book title and authors name of course, but it sounds like of awkward. I'd try to reword the thesis but I don't think the length is the issue. Maybe... In the Great Gatsby, by so and so, Daisy Buchanan's moral standards appear ambiguous based on her contradicting actions and whether she appears decent or immoral. Something like that. Not sure though.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I like your definition of moral ambiguity, except the part about perception. You say "someone whose morals can be perceived"--this is passive voice. Who is doing the perceiving? Daisy? The reader? Try to reword it so this is clear. The rest is good.
ReplyDeleteI have this idea of saying Gatsby is morally ambiguous, but I'm not sure if it would work, or even fit the terms of moral ambiguity. Could I say that Gatsby is morally ambiguous because Nick portrays as a wealthy man who's money derives from his family's fortune, but Nick also notices that Gatsby's also involved in bootlegging and such, which would contradict his actions? I'm not exactly sure if this would work.
ReplyDelete"A character is considered morally ambiguous if it is unclear what the character believes and if the reader can perceive the character’s morals in more than one way. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daisy Buchanan’s moral standards appear ambiguous based on her contradicting actions and the reader’s difficulty in determining whether she is mostly decent or mostly immoral." Is this better?
ReplyDeleteKenny, Gatsby could be considered morally ambiguous if you think being ostentatious and putting on a facade is in the gray area. Those are definitely contradictions, but I don't think they'd strongly prove moral ambiguity by themselves. Try posting your definition of moral ambiguity. See if the situations match up with what you wrote.
ReplyDelete@ Kenny
ReplyDeleteYou could say Gatsby is morally ambiguous because he portrays himself as something he's not. He later reveals his true character in Chapter 5 *Spoiler* Or you could say because he contradicts himself as he does not know right from wrong. Think about it. He's in the drug business but also served in the war. I think he is dishonest and is still hiding some part of him based on Wolfstein *Chapter 4* and the phone calls he gets.