When society wishes for lavish things, corruption will soon follow. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald examines the desire for wealth, power, and success in New York. Society cares too much about appearances. Fitzgerald’s novel makes the reader aware of the unhappiness that could be experienced if all that matters relies on money. Fitzgerald emphasizes that because the American dream is determined by materialism, it ultimately corrupts the people who desire wealth. Gatsby corrupts himself in his relentless quest for material wealth and increased social status. Fitzgerald reveals how Gatsby feels about his life when he was younger. Nick states, “James Gatz-that was really, or at least legally, his name … His parents were shiftless and …show more content…
He appears dissatisfied with everything his parents provide for him. Gatsby wants to make a name for himself so he can start over with a new life that will hopefully bring him social status and wealth. Furthermore, Gatsby gets pulled over by the police for speeding on his way to visit Wolfsheim, a gangster. Nick describes, “We slowed down. Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man’s eyes” (68). Gatsby has authority over the police. This way he can do whatever he wants without getting in trouble. Gatsby resorts to corruption to get the lifestyle he desires. Gatsby probably has connections through his friends from war. Finally, when Jordan reveals that she believes Gatsby’s story about Oxford, Tom comments, “‘An Oxford man!’ He was incredulous. ‘Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.’ ‘Nevertheless …show more content…
Myrtle and Tom have a party at their apartment; Myrtle admits to Catherine that “‘[she] married him because [she] thought he was a gentleman,’ she said finally. ‘[She] thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick [her] shoe’” (38). Myrtle acts as if George is below her. George really loves Myrtle, but she treats him like trash. She desperately wants to be in the higher class. Myrtle married George because she thought he would become rich. Later, when Tom shows up at the auto shop to visit Myrtle, “she smiled slowly and walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the eye” (29). The fact that George never notices that Myrtle and Tom are having an affair proves that George only sees what he wants. Myrtle does not have any morals. Since Myrtle appears miserable with her marriage, she should divorce George and move on to greater things that will help her obtain happiness. Lastly, Tom has a party at his apartment. Mrs. McKee confesses to Myrtle that “‘[she] almost made a mistake, too,’ she declared vigorously. ‘[She] almost married a little kyke who’d been after [her] for years. [She] knew he was below [her]’” (38). Mrs. McKee would never marry below someone below her because she cares too much about status. Myrtle wants to marry Tom; Tom wants to stay married to Daisy so he can keep his reputation. Even when
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's needs, but not every man 's greed.” As humans, we work countless hours in order to have a greater opportunity to succeed in life to fulfill our wants. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, utilizes effective language and punctuation in the text in order to accomplish his purpose: Illustrate what material goods does to a society. From a rhetorical standpoint, examining logos, ethos, and pathos, this novel serves as a social commentary on how pursuing the “The American Dream” causes people in society to transform into greedy and heartless individuals.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him. Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth.
Money and Corruption in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby 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.
naive belief is that money and social standing are all that matter in his quest
Nick’s naïveté and innocence leads to continual judgement of the deceiving upper class community he surrounds himself with; however, he realises Gatsby is the most genuine and optimistic man he has ever met. Gatsby’s never ending confidence in his dream of a future with Daisy represents blind faith of an unattainable dream, yet Gatsby never ceases to reach for his goals. Gatsby even believes that he can fix every mistake he has made in the past (Fitzgerald 128). His naive and ignorant outlook on his future influences many vindictive decisions he has made in his past. Nick’s admiration of Gatsby’s ambitions compels him to recognize Gatsby’s efforts. Nick exclaims that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together” (Fitzgerald 126). Nick idolizes Gatsby because his questionable actions were driven by his immense passion for Daisy. Believing that the elite, upper class society is corrupt, Nick found that Gatsby was the only wealthy individual he had met who is pure of
As we read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scot Fitzgerald we can undoubtedly noticed the criticisms he has made towards wealth and the American dream. He has made us wonder and speculate whether or not the pursuit of wealth is entirely a noble aspect of life and that we should consider our values before we submerses our self in the waters of greed. As strange as it may seem, Fitzgerald criticizes elements of his own life to expose money's destructive influence on the individual as well as the corruption it causes upon the minds of men.
Gatsby is a dreamer, he dreams that one day he and Daisy will be able to be together once again. To achieve this dream Gatsby has made himself a rich man. He knows that in order to win Daisy back he must be wealthy and of high social stature. Gatsby becomes rich, has a beautiful mansion, nice things, things like shirts “They’re such beautiful shirts. . . it makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful clothes” (pg.98).Gatsby believes his dream will come true because of all the money and nice things he has. The way that Gatsby becomes rich is in a way the demise of his dream. Gatsby becomes wealthy by participating in organized crime, including distributing illegal alcohol and trading in stolen securities. Daisy eventually learns about this and it is one of the reasons she will never again be with Gatsby. The other reason is Daisy a...
Gatsby realizes that life of the high class demands wealth to become priority; wealth becomes his superficial goal overshadowing his quest for love. He establishes his necessity to acquire wealth, which allows him to be with Daisy. The social elite of Gatsby's time sacrifice morality in order to attain wealth. Tom Buchanan, a man from an "enormously wealthy" family, seems to Nick to have lost all sense of being kind (Fitzgerald 10). Nick describes Tom's physical attributes as a metaphor for his true character when remarking that Tom had a "hard mouth and a supercilious manner...arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face...always leaning aggressively forward...a cruel body...[h]is speaking voice...added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed" (Fitzgerald 11). The wealth Tom has inherited causes him to become arrogant and condescending to others, while losing his morals. Rather than becoming immoral from wealth as Tom has, Gatsby engages in criminal activity as his only path to being rich. His need for money had become so great that he "was in the drug business" (Fitzgerald 95). Furthermore, he lies to Nick about his past in order to cover up his criminal activity. Gatsby claims to others that he has inherited his wealth, but Nick discovers "[h]is parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby enters a world where money takes precedence over moral integrity. Materialism has already overshadowed a portion of his spiritual side. A quest for true love is doomed for failure in the presence of immorality. Once wealth has taken priority over integrity, members of the high social class focus on immediate indulgences, rather than on long-term pleasures of life such as love.
When Tom comes into the picture all that changes. Tom’s lack of feeling about his disloyal to Daisy, poisons Myrtle and causes her to take the same belief. Myrtle no longer cares that cheating is corrupt and gladly “visits her sister” weekly with no guilt. Tom’s disloyalty extends past Daisy and on to Myrtle as well. Tom lacks intention of leaving Daisy, and lies to Myrtle about the reason.
Starting at a young age Gatsby strives to become someone of wealth and power, leading him to create a façade of success built by lies in order to reach his unrealistic dream. The way Gatsby’s perceives himself is made clear as Nick explains: “The truth was Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God… he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty” (Fitzgerald 98). From the beginning Gatsby puts himself beside God, believing he is capable of achieving the impossible and being what he sees as great. Gatsby blinds himself of reality by idolizing this valueless way of life, ultimately guiding him to a corrupt lifestyle. While driving, Nick observes Gatsby curiously: “He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces…” (Fitzgerald 65). To fulfill his aspirations Gatsby desires to be seen an admirable and affluent man in society wh...
Tom wanted the "possession" of Myrtle, Myrtle wanted Tom's "luxuries and wealth," and Daisy wanted Gatsby simply for his wealth. Both Tom and Daisy know each other's affairs, but neither one truly cares. As the story progresses, it seems as though each of them is trying to make the other jealous. Honesty and Love, two words known only by the faithful, George Wilson. George certainly had his flaws, but he loved his wife dearly and couldn't live without her. "He was his wife's man and not his own." When he became aware of Tom and Myrtle's affair, he was "really sick, pale as his own pale hair and shaking all over." He locked her up in fear that she would run away with Tom forever.
The reader sees how much Gatsby wishes for Daisy and their past relationship, but Tom has become an issue through his wealth, power, and social status. Gatsby knows that he has to eclipse Tom’s appeal to Daisy in some way and that he would need money for this. This gets him into the illegal actions of bootlegging. In the end of the novel, the reader realizes the sign...
As Matthew J. Bruccoli noted: “An essential aspect of the American-ness and the historicity of The Great Gatsby is that it is about money. The Land of Opportunity promised the chance for financial success.” (p. xi) The Great Gatsby is indeed about money, but it also explores its aftermath of greed. Fitzgerald detailed the corruption, deceit and illegality of life that soon pursued “the dream”. However, Fitzgerald entitles the reader to the freedom to decide whether or not the dream was ever free of corruption.
In conclusion, The Great Gatsby reveals the carelessness and shallowness of the characters in the upper class. Society is totally corrupted and the character’s lives revolve around the money and extravagant lifestyles. All of the characters are surrounded with expensive and unnecessary itms, which in turn, dulls their dream of actual success. Scott F. Fitzgerald provides a powerful and everlasting message of a corrupt, materialistic society and the effects that it has on the idea of the American dream.
In the novel The Great Gatsby, the 1920’s was a “throwaway culture, in which things (and people) are used and then abandoned” (Evans). This is true of the lives of the wealthy elite who ruled the East and West Eggs, causing the domination of materialistic thought. The substitution of money for integrity ultimately provided a way for corruption to take deep roots in the characters. The frivolous lives and relationships described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby depict the emptiness of the shallow 1920’s era.