How Did F Scott Fitzgerald Use Moral Decay In The Great Gatsby

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The Moral Decay, the ‘20s and Today
During the 1920s American culture was roaring. As a decade between World War I and The Great Depression, the Roaring Twenties fostered a generation that matured during an unstable time. This generation was considered “lost” because of its values cultivated during the war which are now useless in the postwar era. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald highlights the moral decay of the Lost Generation through the Valley of Ashes, which parallels the decline of morality in society today.
Fitzgerald continually describes the Valley of Ashes as gray, and his descriptions give the impression that the area itself is deteriorating, which symbolizes the decaying values of the Lost Generation. When Fitzgerald first describes the Valley of Ashes he states, “About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily …show more content…
He notes, “The valley of ashes opened out on both sides of us, and I had a glimpse of Mrs. Wilson straining at the garage pump with panting vitality as we went by” (68). Through his depiction, he emphasizes the encompassing nature of moral decay. The Valley of Ashes envelops Nick as he passes through it. This stresses the idea that people can see the decay surrounding them; however, they choose to ignore it. Fitzgerald’s description also offers insight into the individuals of the Lost Generation. While Myrtle works in the Valley of Ashes, Fitzgerald depicts her as lifeless. On the other hand, when she saunters through the city, he depicts her as lively and alert. This contrast in the portrayal conveys the laziness of the Lost Generation in regard to work and the importance the members place on material goods. The distinction between laziness and materialism establishes a sense of wrongly placed morals. Fitzgerald accurately depicts the careless, hard-drinking, materialistic Lost

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