Corruption In The Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby, formerly James Gatz, is a charming, handsome man from the Midwest who successfully pursued his American Dream of becoming gaudy rich. As a young boy, he was a dreamer who was determined and more than willing to work hard in order for his colossal dream to come true. Once Gatsby gains his newfound wealth, he turns to a much more lavish lifestyle including a beautiful mansion on the water, extravagant parties, flashy clothing, an enormous swimming pool, and a cream-colored Rolls Royce. However, along with his immense wealth came immense corruption. Gatsby transforms from a young, poor farm boy into a dishonorable and reckless man once achieving his American Dream.

In order to achieve his American Dream, Gatsby participates in suspicious

His parties include orchestras, multiple meals, an abundance of alcoholic beverages, and hundreds upon hundreds of people (Fitzgerald 39-41). During his parties, guests become intoxicated to the point of not knowing what's happening, yet Gatsby doesn't do anything about it and continues to have beverages brought in for every party. For example, while leaving the first party he attends, the story's narrator, Nick Carraway, sees a group of people who have driven their car into a ditch with no knowledge of what had happened (Fitzgerald 54). This is a prime example of Gatsby's recklessness. No suitable host would allow his guests to become tipsy then proceed to drive home, especially when that excessively drunk. Furthermore, we learn from a woman at Gatsby's party, Lucille, that she had once torn her dress while attending a previous party. She later received a brand-new dress from Gatsby valued at $265 (Fitzgerald 43). Although this may seem to be a gentile gesture, it is actually displaying his careless nature. He allows people to behave however they feel suit, whether that be getting incredibly drunk, ruining their clothes, or destroying his house, because he knows that he can fix whatever the issue is with his money. He can buy a woman a new dress or people a new car, or himself a new house. He's able to do this because of the gaudy lifestyle he lives. Gatsby's abundance of wealth has corrupted him and turned him

Throughout the course of the novel, Gatsby is described as wearing a variety of outlandish outfits. For instance, when reuniting with Daisy he wears a white suit with a silver shirt and gold tie (Fitzgerald 84). Additionally, once Gatsby and Daisy reassemble, he takes both her and Nick over to his house in order to show off his assets, explicating his need to be noticed and praised for his rags-to-riches story. After making their ways through the majority of his house, the trio stops at Gatsby's enormous walk-in closet. Daisy sobs at the beauty of his clothing, further proving his expensive, flashy style. Moreover, when Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Nick, and Jordan go into the city for a day, Gatsby is said to be wearing a pink suit (Fitzgerald 122). By wearing flamboyant clothing, he is drawing attention to himself, which is exactly what he wants. Gatsby is "New Money" meaning that his wealth does not come from inheritance, something he desperately wants people to believe. However, the reader can easily conclude that this is not in fact true based on the way he behaves compared to Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Take the case of Tom often being described as wearing a black suit and loafers (Fitzgerald 26), an outfit often perceived as the epitome of a handsome, dignified man. In contrast, Gatsby never wears this style outfit because he wants people to know