Abuse Of Power In The Great Gatsby

1484 Words6 Pages

Indeed, the misuse of power and riches that F. Scott Fitzgerald depicted still exists today. The luxurious, carefree, and greedy lifestyle of the wealthy upper echelon of society and their misuse of power are depicted in Fitzgerald's books, particularly The Great Gatsby. We still see instances of this behavior in modern culture, so this issue is still relevant to audiences today. There have been several well-publicized instances in recent years of powerful people utilizing their influence and authority to their benefit, such as the scandal with the actor paying for her sons to be enrolled in college with fake accreditations. These also include other various scandals including insider trading, financial misconduct, and corporate fraud. There …show more content…

He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in and never told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out…I gave it to him and then I lay down and cried…all afternoon.” (Fitzgerald 37) This quote from "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald exemplifies how Tom Buchanan abuses his riches and influence over his wife's boyfriend, George Wilson. George Wilson is summoned because Tom borrows a suit from someone else and never returns it. Tom eventually hands it back without difficulty, but his wife Myrtle experiences emotional distress as a result and sobs all afternoon. This quotation is just one illustration of how the abuse of money and power is portrayed in "The Great Gatsby", and it is still a problem in contemporary society. People still exist today who use their wealth and influence to control and subjugate others. For example, rich people may exploit their finances. The second quote “‘See!’ he cried triumphantly. ‘It’s a bona-fide piece of printed …show more content…

The first part has this quote, “The elaborate conspiracy involved cheating on the SAT and ACT and parents paying coaches "enormous sums" to get their children into schools by fabricating their athletic credentials.” (Puente and Garrison) this quote implies that money and power abuse are still prevalent today. The recent college admissions crisis in which wealthy parents were exposed for paying exorbitant sums of money to get their kids accepted into prestigious universities through deception is alluded to in this quotation. In his books, such as "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald depicted the corrupting effects of wealth and power. This theme is still important in today's culture. The college admissions scandal is but one instance of how powerful people can abuse their position to acquire unfair advantages. The second quote displays the same, thus strengthening my argument. “Loughlin, who starred in the 1990s sitcom "Full House," is facing the same felony charges – conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Prosecutors say Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, another defendant, paid bribes of $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as crew team recruits at the University of Southern California even though neither participated in the sport.” (Puente and Garrison) This quote provides evidence to my topic claim on the presence