Examples Of Moral Decay In The Great Gatsby

In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, moral decay develops throughout the story. For instance, corruption, lying, death of the American dream, and illegal businesses are all a representation that keeps showing up. Fitzgerald portrays this symbol through the characters and their exertions. Wealth is a relevance that keeps everyone deprived.
Firstly, the death of the American dream describes Gatsby's relationship with Daisy. He loves Daisy and has parties hoping to find her one day. Daisy tells Gatsby that she once loved Tom after she confesses of not loving him. While Gatsby achieves the money, the love is unachievable because nothing is there. The American dream is also a lie because everyone who is wealthy, have a loss of happiness. When no one attends Gatsby’s funeral but his parties, the social values show people aspiring to become the elite posses a lack of respect. As Fitzgerald says, “...no one else was interested-interested, I mean, with that intense personal interest to which everyone has some vague right at the end” (Fitzgerald 164).

Furthermore, as Tom Buchanan has an affair with Myrtle shows his unconcern for Daisy.

Fitzgerald writes, “His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew” (Fitzgerald 24). Also, when Nick relates Jordan Baker of being dishonest demonstrates as Fitzgerald addresses, “At her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers--a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round” (Fitzgerald 57). Foremost, Nick states that he is honest, but is

judgemental.
Additionally, Gatsby secretes illegitimate activities from Nick to cover up his identity. As Fitzgerald writes, “He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores her and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong” (Fitzgerald 133). Although Gatsby appears as someone who is upper-class, he is instinctively a middle western who comes from nothing. Anticipating another lifestyle to impersonate someone notable, Gatsby entirely fails. After the murder, Nick is the only person there.
In conclusion, moral decay occurs throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby. There are many attributes to the theme that constructs the overall message. As shown, Fitzgerald composes an assortment of examples to show moral decay develops in many ways.