Corruption In The Great Gatsby

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Recommended: The concept of the American dream

Thanks Julian. Just to expand a bit on what you said, the American dream has historically always been about the national ethos of the US, that set of ideals that promote its opportunity for freedom, opportunity and success. Now, in relation to The Great Gatsby, the story is actually able to portray the corruption that the excess of money in this era of the roaring twenties and the materialistic values which get in the way of these Americans in pursuit of the dream, the death of the American dream. Through the eyes of Nick Carraway and his dealings with the extremely wealthy, we can see that the original pure ideals of the American dream have be transformed by this 1920's society into a plan for wealth and materialistic power and how this high …show more content…

As soon as he dons this modern person, his new face if you will, any of his redeeming factors begin to fade, and he begins to succumb to the key culprit in the corruption of the dream, money and materialism. Gatsby's corruption is clear through the implicit factor of his illegal underground bootlegging and his vast array of lavish possessions. This corruption is presented in its purest form in Tom and Daisy Buchannan who are nothing but careless. Essentially, Fitzgerald has conveyed through the character of Jay Gatsby, the replacement of the old American dream with the values of greed, money and materialism and it is clear from this that he was unable to achieve the American dream.Really interesting Julian. I have to completely agree with you on one of your points there. There is no doubt in my mind that Jay Gatsby did not want to achieve the American dream, but more that he was just unable to this because he was essentially in love with something that no longer existed. He was in love with a memory of Daisy. The short affair with Daisy which ended as a result of him leaving for the war could never have really have been upheld as a woman such as Daisy would never have given up her social position for a little known man such as

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