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Corruption In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, lives up to its namesake. The book explores numerous complex themes, ranging from the unattainable and destructive nature of the pursuit of an idealized past to the social inequality brought about by wealth, even among the wealthy themselves, and, relevant to this essay, the decadence and moral decline brought about by the corruption of the American dream. Two symbols represent this idea: the Valley of Ashes, which is a physical manifestation of the grotesque, ever-consuming nature of the American dream and drains the life of its poor inhabitants – and the billboard of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg who looms over the road of the valley, eyes watching, becoming a symbol of anything in a place devoid of meaning. They are symbols of an empty and vapid dream that is never satiated – always …show more content…

Despite this extreme use of resources and harm to others, none of the elites we see are happier. Daisy is -- at best -- apathetic toward everyone else; Gatsby pursues the past -- a Sisyphean task -- till his death; Tom has everything to the covetousness of others, yet still acts like a donkey to others. The billboard of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg leers over the decrepit landscape of the Valley. The “blue and gigantic” eyes with “retinas [that] are one yard high” emerge from the dust and black ash that is omnipresent in the valley (Fitzgerald 26). The leering eyes become a symbol of the moral decline of the American ideal and the vacuousness of both the “enchanted metropolitan” (New York City) and the immense wealth of both West and East Egg (Fitzgerald 62). The eyes become a mirror by which observers can implant their own individualized meaning. George Wilson is an example of this prescribed meaning. The eyes, covered with golden spectacles, are, in reality, old and worn down. The sun bleached the paint, and the rain washed away some of its

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Eckleberg's eyes witness some of the novels largest ethical collapses. The first of these is evidenced in Fitzgerald's quote “But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessy over it, you percieve, after a moment, the eyes of T.J. Eckleberg”(23). Nick refers to this area as “the valley of ashes”(Fitzgerald 23). The site of the billboard doubles as a representation for the poverty and class system that persisted in the time period, accompanied by the hypocrisy of the country's wealth boasting attitude. In the most literal sense, Eckleberg's eyes are an advertisement, which eludes to the harsh effects of capitalisim on the people who were unable to make it big.

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Following the publishing of the book, The Great Gatsby written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald was the release of the replication of the book into a movie in 2013. This movie reenacted the book and contained some flair added by the producer. There has been argumentation whether or not the director's changes altered the whole idea of the book and focused too much on the love story. Others say the love story is the whole corruption.

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Corruption of the American Dream In the Novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald establishes how the upper class is hollow by meticulously using symbolism and themes throughout the entirety of the book. The Great Gatsby is a book based in New York during the 1920s, also known as the Jazz age or the era of the American Dream. The American Dream is what everyone aims to achieve in this book, however, it is really just “the orgastic future” that the green light represents, which drives these characters to believe that they have a future of no problems ahead, when in fact, it hollows people and proves just what the American Dream really is. Gatsby's books are a symbol of both materialism and ignorance.

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One of the strongest recognized themes In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is God’s harsh judgment of man’s immorality and corruption, resulting in just consequences. However, If readers further examine the plot and events of the novel it becomes evident that the theme is the lack of Godly judgment and presence of human criticisms. Fitgerald utilizes symbols such as Gatsby’s pool, the billboard, and Nick’s commentary to subtly manifest the theme that humanity is beyond the reach of God’s judgment, and all actions and reparations are direct results of the people themselves, with no influence but their own corruption and lawlessly destructive nature. This is a satirical work that pokes at religion; the concept that God delivers justice in the end is slowly torn

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“Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me”(Luke 18:22). Humanity getting corrupted by power is not a new phenomenon, it is human nature. Take Genesis for example, God told Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree, however they were tempted by the serpent and could not resist the urge to obtain power. See wealth and power corrupt people, and it pushes them further away from God, therefore making them immoral. The characters in The Great Gatsby — by F. Scott Fitzgerald — are also affected by the human flaw of corruption.

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The Great Gatsby was a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald during the roaring twenties. During this time, the era modernism was emerging, which includes the sub categories of alienation and isolation. In The Great Gatsby, characters feel lonely and out of place despite their wealth, allowing them to attend raging parties with many social opportunities. This feeling of misplacement affects how they act and relate to each other, showing the reader the complexities of human emotions and society. Nick Carraway best illustrates the feeling of alienation despite being rich and extravagant like everyone else.

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The influences of the storyteller, Nick Carraway, and the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, work to shape our understanding of the fast-changing ideals. Paired in contrast is the symbolism counteracting these perspectives. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg. Characters and readers alike engage with the eyes through its representation of the righteousness we criticize

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In the American Novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author shows the characters progression of corruption and tragedy as they pursue the “American Dream”. First, the author tells the story of Nick Carraway, a man who comes from an exceedingly wealthy family, and how Nick left his family behind to go sell bonds on his own. This illustrates Nick expressing his want for the American Dream by throwing away the wealth he had to experience a more fashionable life in West Egg. Next, the author states XXXXXXXXXXX. This quote shoes Tom Buchanan’s magnificent life with everything he could ever want, yet he still yearns for more, and this proves that the pursuit of wealth is never ending, always leaving you wanting more.

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The Great Gatsby presents its characters as having living the American Dream. However, it is only a belief; the behaviors they have and decisions they take only leave them with a false perception of life and lifestyle. The Great Gatsby relates to the corruption of the American Dream for those materialistic people who were after money. Fitzgerald reveals the idea of corruption in the American Dream through conditions such as wealth and materialism, power and social status, and relationships involving family and affairs. He uses examples of this corruption to show the reader that people are willing to lie, betray others, and commit crime to be able to live a ‘better and fuller’ life.

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Often times we associate material gain with enjoyment and fulfillment, but we fail to understand the side most affected by the uninhibited pursuit of gratification. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the wealthy do just that; they climb the steps of social class by stepping over those who are poorer. In the novel, the lower class face degradation caused by the wealthy’s selfish desire for pleasure and satisfaction. Specifically, the Valley of Ashes symbolizes Fitzgerald’s criticism for that very inconsiderate pursuit of self-gain, which creates dire consequences for the poor.

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While money may be an essential aspect of life, becoming wealthy often leads to more trouble than it is worth. Many people during the 1920’s earned money rather easily, whether that be through honest, hard work, or more underground illegal methods. Those who pursue wealth, however, seem to find themselves consumed by the promise of money. As they become more and more desperate to climb the ladder of success their morals seem to be left further and further behind. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the character Jay Gatsby to illustrate how newfound wealth can lead to corruption and ultimately a disastrous end.

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In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, corruption runs rampant amongst the characters. The corruption in the book includes, but is not limited to: Meyer Wolfshiem, Jay Gatsby, and Tom Buchanan. Corruption in the book and in real life comes in all shapes and sizes. In the novel, said corruption entails cheating, rigging, lying, bootlegging, arrogance, and unfaithfulness.

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Set in the heart of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby, which is probably one of the most popular classic literature works in modern American fiction,may appear to be a novel about a tragic love story. The major theme, nevertheless, is about the life of that era as a whole. In The Great Gatsby, the contemporary society is portrayed by people pursuing success but it seems more difficult to reach that goal because of the huge amount of people trying to achieve the same thing (Institution, n.d.). This paper will discuss elements reflected in The Great Gatsby which contribute to the corruption of the 1920s American Dream. Until now, there is still no exact definition of what American Dream means.

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An important theme in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the corruption of morals because of wealth. It doesn’t matter if one comes from old or new money, wealth will corrupt the morality of even the humblest. The first example of wealth corrupting morals is in the indifference to infidelity between the married Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. The next example of wealth corrupting morals is seen in Jordan Baker’s actions to keep her luxurious lifestyle. Third, Jim Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth lead to the corruption of his morals.

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The Valley of Ashes is set between West Egg and New York City. Depicted as a place of ruin, despair and decay where “Ashes grow like wheat…”, the place represents the upbringing of urbanization and industrialism in the 1920s and its impacts on social and economic inequality. The use of motif of the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in the Valley highlights the absence of moral values in society in place of commodification and commercialism, acting as a constant reminder of the lack of an authorial-like figure. Through this, Fitzgerald portrays the broken pursuit of the American Dream, demonstrating his purpose of presenting greed of individuals consumed by their

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