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Decay In The Great Gatsby

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F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is often regarded as a quintessential depiction of the 1920s, a period of rapid change and social upheaval in American history. Through the novel's characters, setting, and plot, Fitzgerald characterizes the 1920s as a time of excess, superficiality, and moral decay.

One of the most prominent themes in The Great Gatsby is the pursuit of wealth and status. The novel's main character, Jay Gatsby, embodies this theme, as he has amassed a fortune through illegal means in order to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby's extravagant parties, which are attended by the social elite of New York, are a symbol of the excess and superficiality of the time. The parties are described as lavish and decadent, with endless supplies of food and drink, live music, and a general air of frivolity. However, the parties are also characterized by their emptiness and superficiality. Guests attend not to socialize or connect with others, but to see and be seen. The parties are a microcosm of the 1920s …show more content…

The characters in the novel frequently engage in immoral behavior, such as infidelity, excessive drinking, and reckless driving. For example, Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband, is openly unfaithful to her and has a mistress on the side. Myrtle Wilson, Tom's mistress, is also unfaithful to her husband and is willing to leave him for a chance at a more luxurious lifestyle. Even the novel's protagonist, Gatsby, is involved in criminal activities and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. These characters are not held accountable for their actions, and there is a sense of moral relativism throughout the novel. This breakdown of traditional morality is reflective of the larger social changes that were occurring in the 1920s, as old norms and values were being challenged and replaced with new, more permissive

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