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Corruption Of American Society In The Great Gatsby

1598 Words7 Pages

Dylan Laus
Mr. Pelster
English 3
4/18/23
Critique and Corruption of American Society American society is corrupted and controlled by wealth. Throughout the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald emphasizes his view on money controlling American society by exaggerating the change it makes on people’s lives. The novel's setting of East and West Egg provides a visual representation of the divide between old money and new money, highlighting the control that money has over people. The characters' likes and dislikes and the conflicts between them are shaped by their wealth's origin, emphasizing the importance of money in their lives. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents a critique of American society and its corrupting influence of wealth.
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Daisy's shallow and self-centered personality is the result of her upbringing and her privileged status. Even with her innocence, she is obviously affected and controlled by money. Accentuating this statement, Gatsby can support this statement when he yells to Tom, “She never loved you, do you hear?” he cried. “She only married you because I was poor” (Fitzgerald, Page 81) She initially married Tom Buchanan solely for his wealth, and her selfishness is demonstrated by her lack of responsibility and carelessness towards others. She refuses to take any responsibility for her actions, using her social status to escape consequences. For example, when Carraway asks Gatsby the cause of the accident, he reveals “Was Daisy driving?” “Yes,” (Fitzgerald, Page 89) The truth was that Daisy murdered Myrtle, and she allowed Gatsby to take the downfall ending in his death. Despite her innocence, Daisy is incredibly influenced by money making her feel entitled to only herself. She shows off her self-awareness when she tells Carraway, "I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." (Fitzgerald, Page 16) She hopes her daughter will be a fool, like her, to be content with her wealth and live an easy life. Daisy is constantly at a battle with herself because of the influence money has on her. She knows of her situation but doesn’t try to …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby communicates his critical view of American society’s false dream and emphasizes the ignorant control wealth has over people. The novel punctuates the division between old and new money, and how the differences between people are solely based on their wealth's origination. The characters' actions and their attitudes towards others demonstrate the harming effects of wealth through moral decay and narcissism. All characters are harmed or affected because of the wealth that governs them. Gatsby died because he chased his wealth, which was Daisy, Myrtle died trying to obtain wealth through Tom, and Daisy was brought down to a person who only runs away from their problems because her wealth gave her that option. The novel's critique of the American dream exposes it as a facade of American society, revealing its emptiness and the corrupting effects of wealth on a

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Myrtle says that she regrets marrying such a poor man and how she is above George. As a result of her social class aspirations, she has an affair with Tom Buchanan in hopes of marrying him and thus becoming wealthy. However, later in the book, she runs in the middle of the street thinking that Tom was in Gatsby's car (Myrtle saw Tom in Gatsby's car earlier) but it was actually Daisy and Gatsby in Gatsby's car. Daisy was driving fast and reckless and she then proceeded to hit Myrtle, violently killing her. Therefore, her greed and drive to rise in social class and her idealistic dream of rising in the social ladder led her to have an affair with Tom Buchanan.

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In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerld uses the characterization of Daisy Buchanan to reveal the sense of loneliness and boredom felt during the 1920s. Fitzgerald writes about Daisy’s desire for her child by stating, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 20). Fitzgerald reveals how Daisy wishes that her daughter grows up to be clueless about the real life issues that she herself faces. Daisy does not want her daughter to have to feel the same pains that Daisy experiences living with her husband, Tom. Fitzgerald also brings to light Daisy’s displeasure with Tom: “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you’”

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