The Great Gatsby has been touted as many things: one of the contenders for the title of “The Great American Novel,” a flash game, and now, a summer blockbuster.

But for all the things that The Great Gatsby has been, a good example certainly is not one of them. The way that the story’s characters embrace the wild lifestyle of the 1920s seems almost like a “how not to” guide for living your life.

In fact, there’s a character or situation inGatsby for practically all of the seven deadly sins that humanity is to avoid. Let’s take a look at some of those sins, the characters and actions behind them, and what we can do to avoid falling into the same snares in our own lives.

Two examples from the post..

Greed
In Gatsby, we see many characters who are a bit more than well-off. Both Gatsby and the Buchanans (Tom and Daisy) live in lavish waterfront homes, yet they still yearn for more. It seems that no one in The Great Gatsby is truly content with their current status — everyone is constantly on the lookout for what they can grab hold of next.

How to avoid it: Greed, like gluttony, is best kept at bay by self-awareness. Take a moment every now and then to appreciate what you have, rather than always looking ahead to the next thing that you want.

Lust
Tom Buchanan is a fantastic example of lust. Though he already has a beautiful wife in Daisy, it is revealed that she apparently is not enough for him: he is a serial cheater, and his latest mistress is Myrtle Wilson, a woman from the “Valley of Ashes” between Long Island and New York City. Tom often takes trips into the city, picking up Myrtle along the way so that they can continue their affair.

How to avoid it: Don’t let your imagination and desire get the better of you. This vice involves self-control — if you’re in a romantic relationship with someone, it’s your duty to be faithful to him or her.

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Though The Great Gatsby is definitely a story rife with deadly sin, it is not necessarily an amoral film.

In fact, Gatsby himself possesses one of the greatest qualities a person can have if he or she wishes to do good, which is hope. Nick Carraway, who narrates Gatsby, describes Jay Gatsby as having “an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again.” He explains that all through his life, Gatsby held dear to his heart a hope for happiness and love, and although the ways in which he tries to attain these things is undoubtedly not the best, the hope itself, and his staunch, perseverant clinging to it, is definitely an admirable trait.