How Does Fitzgerald Create Corruption In The Great Gatsby

1144 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The great gatsby by f scott fitzgerald characters

Symbols of Corruption
It is the dream of most Americans to grow up to be better than their parents, live a life of luxury from humble beginnings, but life in 1920 was a very different than today’s America and for most fortune came from illegal means. A lot of the government was controlled by mob bosses with connections all over big cities. Prohibition was active and bootlegging was everywhere. WHile this time period saw economic success it also saw the death of people from the middle class rising up to the top and did nothing to fix social problems such as racism. F. Scott Fitzgerald in his book The Great Gatsby uses symbolism to express his opinion that immorality was ruining America in the 1920s. As symbols many of his characters die and …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald sees America on a dark path filled with corruption. Fitzgerald conveys that corruption is going to cause future problems in America when he writes “Dear Mr.Carraway. This has been one of the most terrible shocks of my life...I am tied up in some very important business and cannot get mixed up in this thing right now….Yours truly Meyer Wolfsheim”(Fitzgerald 166). This letter from Wolfsheim shows him abandoning Gatsby after his death via letter instead of taking the time to go in person. Wolfsheim in the novel represents criminal business in America and was indirectly the reason for Gatsby’s death. What this means is that Fitzgerald believes that corruption if left unchecked will destroy America as we know it and then continue to be present in whatever society is left. Later in the story Fitzgerald writes “I see it is a night scene by El Greco….”(Fitzgerald 176). This allusion to El Greco helps Fitzgerald convey the profound connection between all aspects of society and the American people. El Greco is a spanish artist famous for his mannerist style. Mannerism is an art style in which a normal scene is distorted to contain asymmetric or unnatural elements. This art style is used to convey a situational tension or instability. Fitzgerald believes that this political instability is present in America due to Myriad factors such as careless or organized crimes,and government corruption. This is symbolized by his characters adultery and illegal businesses. Fitzgerald then uses the climactic moment of the story to really cement his point. Gatsby’s illegal actions caused daisy to leave him and in her rage she killed Myrtle which lead to Gatsby and Wilson’s deaths. In simple terms, Fitzgerald hope for The Great Gatsby was to reveal to the public that America was in a precarious position due this rampant corruption and that one day the dam would break. In hindsight he was absolutely correct as the Great Depression

Show More
Related

  • Flaws In The Great Gatsby

    514 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, Fitzgerald does not write Gatsby as a bad person who embodies all that is wrong with western capitalism. Instead, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as a good man who was victim of the qualities ingrained in him by an imperfect ideological system. It is this distinction which makes Fitzgerald’s argument all the more potent, and his audience’s ability to mourn Gatsby as a tragic figure all the more important. Whereas Fitzgerald’s opinion of Gatsby may otherwise have been misconstrued as a negative one, the scene of Gatsby’s funeral clearly conveys the character of Gatsby as a tragic and sorrowful one. The character of Gatsby and Fitzgerald’s commentary on the logical fallacies of the American Dream are closely intertwined, which is why Fitzgerald goes to such great lengths to separate the two.

    Read More

  • Fitzgerald's Ambition Lead To Death In The Great Gatsby

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby unravels in death and destruction due to one man’s need, for one girl. His admiration and ambition for this girl shows how the American dream can lead to so much havoc. Even though Gatsby has everything he wants, he still has a want for that girl. Fitzgerald does a wonderful job of expressing that through Gatsby and showing how a pursuit of that dream can lead to so much death and destruction. Fitzgerald shows how that American dream demands more than you have and causes harm to Gatsby and people around him. All the events connected well and tied in beautifully with the plot. It affects more than just himself and he was blind to that due to his passion for the American dream.

    Read More

  • Money and Corruption in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    1745 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Corruption and Failure in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    503 Words  | 2 Pages

    naive belief is that money and social standing are all that matter in his quest

    Read More

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald accurately portrayed the flamboyancy of the 1920s in The Great Gatsby. Many aspects contributed to this flamboyancy and indifference. The pursuit of the “American Dream” contributed to the actions of Americans and to the actions of Fitzgerald’s characters. The advent of prohibition in 1920 also pushed the actions of Americans, real and imaginary. Gangsters and organized crime were an influential force in the young aristocracy of the 1920s. The revolution of new women also greatly impacted society’s twists and turns during the 1920s. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald accurately portrayed these aspects of 1920s American society.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Idealism In The Great Gatsby

    2068 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since its publication in 1925, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has indisputably been one of the most influential and insightful pieces on the corruption and idealism of the American Dream. The American Dream, defined as ‘The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone,’ was a dominant ideal in American society, stemming from an opportunist pioneer mentality. In his book ‘The American Tradition in Literature’, Bradley Sculley praised The Great Gatsby for being ‘perhaps the most striking fictional analysis of the age of gang barons and the social conditions that produced them.’ Over the years, greed and selfishness changed the basic essence of the American Dream, forming firmly integrated social classes and the uncontainable thirst for money and status. The ‘Roaring Twenties’ was a time of ‘sustained increase in national wealth’ , which consequently led to an increase in materialism and a decrease in morality. Moreover, the

    Read More

  • The Power of Money in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    1775 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ex-President Jimmy Carter knows both the power and the limitations of money. He is also aware that the acquisition of money or material wealth is not a worthwhile goal. This was made clear in his speech to the American people when he stated:  "Our great cities and our mighty buildings will avail us not if we lack spiritual strength to subdue mere objects to the higher purposes of humanity" (Harnsberger 14). In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the author clearly illustrates that Jay Gatsby does not understand the limitations of the power of money. Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past, buy him happiness, and allow him to climb the social ladder in the prominent East Egg.

    Read More

  • Greed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    479 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gatsby and Greed In this day and age, money is a very important asset to have. One needs to have at least enough to live on, though great amounts are preferable. In The Great Gatsby, by Thomas F. Fitzgerald, having a large amount of money is not enough. It is also the way you acquire the money that matters.

    Read More

  • Moral Criticism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    F. Scott Fitzgerald discontentment for the moral decay that existed in the 1920s is apparent by the face displayed in the center of the cover of the book he wrote about the 1920s, The Great Gatsby. The face gives the appearance of wealth by the set of rhinestones that line the right eye, and the bright red lips. The overly perfect structure of the eyes and the lips are, also, indications of being of wealth. A fairly large teardrop present on the face and the hopeless, grave look of the eyes makes

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: America in the 1920s

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal expectations. In this novel, symbols are used to represent the changing times and create a picture of this era for generations to come. The history, settings, characters, and symbols embedded in The Great Gatsby exemplify life in America during the 1920s.

    Read More

  • Free Great Gatsby Essays: Reflection of an Era

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the 1920's America was a country of great ambition, despair and disappointment. The novel The Great Gatsby is a reflection of this decade, it illustrates the burning passion one man has toward his "American Dream" and the different aspects of the dream. Fitzgerald's work is a reflection of America during his lifetime. The Great Gatsby shows the ambition of one man's reach for his "American Dream," the disappointment of losing this dream and the despair of his loss.

    Read More

  • Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to expose the corruption growing in the family system present in the novel. Finally, the American longing for status as a citizen is gravely overshot when Gatsby surrounds his life with walls of lies in order to fulfill his desires for an impure dream. F. Scot. Fitzgerald, through his use of symbols, characters, and theme, displays for the reader a tale that provides a commentary on the American dream and more importantly on its corruption.

    Read More

  • Power and Betrayal in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1803 Words  | 4 Pages

    Scott Fitzgerald was a writer who desired his readers to be able to hear, feel, and see his work. He made it his goal to be able to make readers think and keep asking questions using imagery and symbolism. The Great Gatsby was not just about the changes that occurred during the Jazz Age, but it was also about America’s corrupted society which was full of betrayal and money-hungry citizens. It was the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg that overlooked all the corruption that occurred throughout the Valley of Ashes. It was the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg that serves as a symbol of higher power who witnesses everything from betrayal to chaos in Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

    Read More

  • Decaying Morals in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920’s were a time of social and technological change. After World War II, the Victorian values were disregarded, there was an increase in alcohol consumption, and the Modernist Era was brought about. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a perfect presentation of the decaying morals of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald uses the characters in the novel--specifically the Buchanans, Jordan Baker, and Gatsby’s partygoers--to represent the theme of the moral decay of society.

    Read More

  • Moral Corruption In The Great Gatsby

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream as well as the portrayal of social classes. Fitzgerald carefully sets up his novel into distinct social groups but, in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving a powerful reminder of what a precarious place the world really is. By creating two distinct social classes ‘old money’ and ‘new money’, Fitzgerald sends strong messages about the elitism underlying and moral corruption society. The idea of the American dream is the ideal that opportunity is available to any American, allowing their highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. In the case of The Great Gatsby it centres on the attainment of wealth and status to reach certain positions in life,

    Read More

More about How Does Fitzgerald Create Corruption In The Great Gatsby

Open Document