Corruption In Gatsby

Corruption formed the basis of 1920s society. Rampant speculation with borrowed money, combined with a lack of market information, both caused the market crash that sparked the Great Depression and, in the meantime, provided opportunities to corrupt individuals who took advantage of this chaotic reality. This stemmed from the effects of World War I. A new class of people, exposed to the terrors of the war and disillusioned with pre-war social norms, turned away from harsh realities and towards a flippant lifestyle filled with parties and alcohol. The old rich, upset with this changing society, similarly withdrew from reality and lived in nostalgic dreams. The corrupt could easily exploit these large groups of wealthy people who were out of

Wolfsheim, like Jordan, is exempt from the withdrawal from reality that characterized the 1920s. He doesn’t succumb to nostalgia because of the grisly nature of his pre-war life, “filled with faces dead and gone” (?). Long before the war, in 1912 when the murder of the real Rosenthal occurred, Wolfsheim was already surrounded by death and corruption. Consequently, he lacks the idealism that influences Gatsby and much of the ‘old rich.’ He is also the only other major character, besides Jordan, who the reader never sees drinking. When he is introduced, even Gatsby, who has a habit “of letting liquor alone,” indulges, but Wolfsheim himself only drinks coffee (100, 70, 72). This connects to Jordan’s introduction. Similarly to Jordan, he uses the fact that many people are withdrawn from reality, and live in alcohol or nostalgia induced dreams, to take advantage of people. He exploits Gatsby’s vision of a life of grandeur to make business connections and money. All Gatsby’s wealth, and the extravagant parties he throws, are illusions presented by Wolfsheim. When Nick first goes to one of Gatsby’s parties, he sees a “number of young Englishmen” trying to make business connections with “prosperous Americans” (42). Since it seems unlikely Wolfsheim would allows others to exploit people at his parties, they are in all likelihood working for Wolfsheim, whose main racket appears to be market fraud. In the movie, Baz Luhrmann suggests this is a “bonds stunt” (The Great Gatsby). The text provides support for this. Before Gatsby offers Nick a way to “pick up a nice bit of money,” he confirms that Nick is selling bonds (Fitzgerald 83). Regardless of the specifics, Wolfsheim clearly uses Gatsby to gain connections to rich and powerful people, especially those who, drunk at these parties, neglect reality. The most renowned players in the market,