Corruption In The Great Gatsby

In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses social commentary to show what the people of the time period were like. It is set in an upper class area of old and newly made wealthy people. Although the book was set during the Jazz Age of the 1920s, it parallels the people of the 21st century and shows the peoples low morals, their individual pursuit of the American dream, and how they embrace noblesse oblige.

Why do we often look up to the higher class? Why do we crave the fabulous lifestyles of the wealthy and famous? Murder, cheating, gambling and wild parties are just some examples of what went on in The Great Gatsby. First of all, the rich were also criminals and may have gotten their endless money in illegal matters. Secondly, most all of the rich characters shown throughout the book were unfaithful to his or her spouse. Thirdly, the wealthy were lavishly wasteful and did not seem to care about others. Finally, a character that expresses immorality the most is Tom Buchanan. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, his intentions were for people to learn to know that being rich or the hunger for money can lead to the immoral actions including some

As a society, America has created certain ideas and stereotypes of each class including the citizens within them. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses around the superficial communities of West and East Egg, and their misconceptions of one another. The citizens of East Egg, such as Daisy and Tom Buchanan, frown upon the up-and-coming men of West Egg. This includes Gatsby, who dreams of the riches they take for granted. Gatsby, who obtains his money through dishonest means appears villainous, unsuccessfully attempting to join the wealthy and elite society of East egg. However, there may be more to Gatsby's story. As Nick, the narrator, says he is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”(154). Through his descriptions and comparison of Tom’s house and Gatsby’s house, Fitzgerald reveals the true nature of the two men. While Gatsby appears to be morally corrupt, in the end he actually has pure intentions, instead it is Tom who emits negativity and is ungrateful for his life.

New York City, overwhelmed with success, money and image in the 1920s was drowning in corruption. F Scott Fitzgerald composed a riveting novel, The Great Gatsby, which follows the journey of several characters dealing with love, greed, confusion and lust during the 1920s. Fitzgerald illustrates the corruption of the American dream by allowing us to follow the downfall of Jay Gatsby, revealing the reality of the American dream.

First, Tom and Daisy demonstrate their carelessness through their insensitiveness. When Tom is visiting his mistress, Myrtle, she taunts Tom by repeatedly saying “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” (Fitzgerald, 39). This causes Tom to get aggravated and strike Myrtle in the face, breaking her nose. Tom physically abuses Myrtle and while he is under the influence of alcohol, he has the intent of hurting her, not caring if she gets injured. Tom also lies to Myrtle, telling her that he would marry her if is wife wasn’t Catholic. Tom does not care about the feelings of his mistress, seeing her as an object and not a human. Myrtle is nothing more than a way for Tom to feel powerful due to her low social status and insecurities. It is mentioned that Tom has cheated on Daisy before with a maid, further proving that Toms motive for having an affair is power. It also proves that Tom is not cheating on Daisy because he is bored, but because he does not truly love her or care for her. Tom’s lack of concern for those around him proves his insensitiveness and overall carelessness.

When Fitzgerald made the character Meyer Wolfsheim he was inspired by the real criminal who fixed the 1919 World Series. Just like in real life the involvement in organized crime has consequences. Gatsbys involvement in organized crime had a major effect of Daisy love for him. After she found out he was a bootlegger she broke up with him. Gatsbys connections to organized crime eventually ruined all of his relationship. First he tried to bring nick in on his underground business operation, but that failed. Them Daisy found out that we was a bootlegger and she never talked to him again. She didn't even show up to his funeral.when everyone found out gatsby was part of the organized crime they looked at him differently. By the end of the book all of the people gatsby knew shut him out and didn't show up to his funeral. Eventually his involvement with bootlegging and crime got him killed. Gatsbys death was a revenge plot made by Tom Buchanan. Tom was angry at Jay for stealing Daisy. He called Gatsby out and told everyone what he had done, So Daisy ran out and Gatsby ran after her. She was driving home and wasn't paying attention and killed Mrytle. Tom thought it was Gatsby and had

Success, formerly signifying the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, however, it has become poisoned by the narcissism of humankind which redefines it as the state of being financially superior to others. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the outlook on the American Dream during the 1920s was crafted through a myriad of events and characters depicting this civil dilemma. By definition, the American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (wealthy), if they exert the required effort on their arduous journey. Having said that, the American Dream thus presents an illusion of an American society that neglects issues such as: systemic racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and income inequality. Furthermore, it also postulates a myth of class equality, yet the reality could not be further from this. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how fantasies driven by materialistic ideologies can lead to inevitable corruption and demoralization in society. Notably, this is exhibited through the daily struggles of George and Myrtle Wilson, the conspicuous bigotry of Tom and Daisy Buchanan as well as the ambition and passion of Jay Gatsby.

The wealthy in the late 20’s was corrupt and selfish. In the Great Gatsby the upper class is shown as corruptive. The people in the upper class such as Tom and Daisy don’t really care about their actions because they feel invincible due to their amount of money and the power they have. Fitzgerald illustrates the corruption in the way upper class is care-less about their behavior.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is about a writer named Nick Carraway. He leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922 . Nick chases his American Dream and ends up living next door to a mysterious, party-loving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who is  across the water from his cousin, Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals that the upper class society is corrupt from money. This is best proven through Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom.

During the time in our country's history called the roaring twenties, society had a new obsession, money. Just shortly after the great depression, people's focus now fell on wealth and success in the economic realm. Many Americans would stop at nothing to become rich and money was the new factor in separation of classes within society. Wealth was a direct reflection of how successful a person really was and now became what many people strived to be, to be rich. Wealth became the new stable in the "American dream" that people yearned and chased after all their lives. In the novel entitled the great Gatsby, the ideals of the so

The Great Gatsby is a novel based off of the American dream, which is something that everyone strives for. The author of the book F. Scott Fitzgerald has his own American dream to become a well known writer, and to have the girl of his dreams, and throughout the novel this dream reflected in The Great Gatsby within in the characters Gatsby and Daisy. Fitzgerald had developed the character Gatsby by incorporating some of his own dreams. For example Gatsby has a forbidden love for Daisy, but he cannot have her because she does not want to leave her husband, Gatsby also wants to do everything he can for Daisy but since she will not leave her husband Gatsby is doing all of this for no reason, and in the

The Corruption of the American Dream and Society, first took place in the 1920’s, also commonly known as the “roaring twenties”, when this new ideology erupted. Therefore, this idea of the free market and opportunity took over the market industry, especially in stocks. People started seeing possibility to become very wealthy without anyone to stop them. They ended up liking this lifestyle which boosted the decay of the American Dream and Society. Where people could care less about the true meaning of American Dream which is about freedom, hard work and prosperity; instead, people had begun to care a great deal about social status. In addition, The Great Gatsby, which is set in the heart of the “roaring twenties”, where F. Scott Fitzgerald ties his thoughts and his life experience of this damaging effect on the people into his book. Using the main characters he shows us how the men and women in his life were, how they were caught up in all of this. In addition to the downfall of the American Dream the reader can also pick up the themes of corruption of Society and the emptiness behind the glamour of the Jazz Age from the characters.

While Gatsby’s dream of attaining and starting over with Daisy remains pure, his means of achieving his dream are, unfortunately, corrupt. There are plenty subtle hints about Gatsby’s immoral practices yet unadulterated heart throughout the novel. For example, in the beginning of the novel a woman at one of Gatsby’s parties chatting with her friend states, “You look at him sometimes when he thinks nobody’s looking at him. I’ll bet he killed a man” (44). This statement doesn’t bluntly say he is corrupt but gives honest insight into his public image and inserts the thought that Gatsby could have possibly been involved in illegal actions during his pathway to wealth.

As Myrtle’s relationship with George Wilson deteriorates and she is disenchanted with his limited lifestyle, she desires more and thus when she meets Tom he offers her this. In some distorted way, Myrtle thinks that Tom will leave his beautiful wife Daisy and marry her, Tom doesn’t truly see the relationship between Myrtle and himself being a true relationship, he just believes she is someone he can call upon unannounced and use her for a sexual relationship. But Myrtle has other plans for the two of them. This is made clear when he breaks Myrtle’s nose we she mentioned his wife’s name: “‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy Dai-‘Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald, 1926)This harsh action implied by Tom, really puts Mrs. Wilson in her place, making her come to her sense of what she can and cannot say. This reaction from Tom signifies that it is not a pure love existing between them. Further, Myrtle’s desire for the material goods Tom can provide shapes her conception of their alleged love, which is evidently greatly distorted as shown through Tom’s treatment of her.

The Great Gatsby was taken place in the roaring 20s, even though alcohol was illegal, the wealthy found a way to sneak it and get away with drinking and partying. The book takes place in Long Island, New York, where there is new and old money and thats the West and East Egg. In the west egg that’s considered as new money, those people with new money is involved in organized crime, organized crime is illegal behavior that is planned and carried out by groups of people in a very systematic fashion. Also, there was the Mafia and they were involved with bootlegging, drug trafficking and messing with New York's industries. New York is known for being a big and hectic city which never sleeps. In New York there is the rich and poor, but in this book they show us how it is and feels to be rich there during the 20s. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows us the advantages with being rich is actually a disadvantage by how they can get away with things that are banned, how old money and new money is earned, and how cops are blinded when they knew what’s going on.