Corruption In The Great Gatsby

The Corrupt Society Displayed in The Great Gatsby The world constantly questions the views and beliefs of people, and the answers to those questions come in many different forms. As time passes, the questions remain, but the answers often differ due to the morals and beliefs of the time and the people. At the turn of the twentieth century, the United States of America found itself in a new era of prosperity. With a booming economy, people were exploring many facets of life only available to the wealthy. With this change in social dynamic, the Modernism era blossomed; consequently, the foundation of the values of society was questioned. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Simon & Schuster, 1953.)

We are a society dominated by the wealthy, the who, the what, the where, and the when. The wealthy maintain domination by the illusion of choice and the corruption of society, otherwise known as capitalism. The characters in The Great Gatsby create a perfect example of how society is greatly influenced by trends, especially when promoted by those in the public eye. Joining these trends allows individuals to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of gaining a higher social status. “With the influence of her dress, her personality had also undergone a change…her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment…” (30-31). Once Mrs.Wilson puts on a trendier dress she can conform her personality to a wealthier mindset. Much like how middle-class people wear certain clothing to try to belong to a higher social

Prizing companionships over material goods should be the main value. Even Though characters in The Great Gatsby displayed many forms of relationships, all of them were willing to destroy their bonds over a temporary entity. At the end of the book following Gatsby's death, Klipspringer chooses to not attend Gatsby's funeral. He tells Carroway “... I’m staying with some people up here in Greenwich, and they rather expect me to be with them tomorrow. In fact, there’s a sort of picnic or something” (169). Even after feeding off of Gatsby and his money for an unknown amount of time, Klipspringer failed to attend his final affair. Instead, he chose to move on to the next social event. Klipspringer showed the readers that many people took advantage of Gatsby's generosity and did not respect him, only exploit him. He taught readers that they will not be buried with their material goods, but instead, companions are needed to carry on your