Gatsby Essay

Submitted By sshen17
Words: 388
Pages: 2

A Corrupt Society The roaring 20s, a time known for it’s wild parties and indulgent lifestyle, was also a time of corruption. During this time, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his now famous book The Great Gatsby in criticism of the immorality of society. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows the corruption of society through the character Jay Gatsby. Gatsby portrays many aspects of corruption in society such as its materialistic, corrupted and unrealistic dreams. The first time Nick sees Gatsby, Gatsby reaches out across the bay towards the East Egg where nothing could be distinguished "except a single green light" (26) Throughout the story the green light symbolizes Gatsby’s goal, and Gatsby is constantly in avid pursuit of it. At first this goal seems to be Daisy’s love, which represents a pure dream. But looking deeper, the light does not symbolize Daisy’s love but rather the things that Daisy represents, wealth and status. The American dream has become materialistic and impure. In order to “become” someone with prestige Gatsby invents a completely fictitious life story that Nick describes as “worn so threadbare that evoked no image except that of a turbaned ‘character’ leaking sawdust at every pore” (66). Gatsby created a persona in which he comes from high-class society and earning money in a legal way in order to emulate Tom, whom Daisy is married to, and please Daisy’s insatiable need for attention and wealth. But in reality, Gatsby fabricates this story in