The Great Gatsby is a classic novel of a man’s infatuation over a past lover and his hopes for their rekindled romance, and future together. However, at its core, F. Scott Fitzgerald is depicting the corruption during a time of wealth and economic prosperity, the 1920s. The idea of the American Dream is that through hard work and determination, anyone can become successful and wealthy. Several characters in the Great Gatsby demonstrate how the desire for wealth and power corrupted the American Dream for many during the roaring 20s. Jay Gatsby is a prime example of how the American Dream can be corrupted by the yearning for money and status. He grew up poor, his parents were “unsuccessful farm people” in North Dakota. Despite this, Gatsby …show more content…
He knew Daisy would never marry a man whose income did not match or exceed what she had been raised with, so Gatsby set of on achieving his goal to get Daisy’s love. However, after much …show more content…
She is the wife to Wilson, a poor auto mechanic, they live between the city and West Egg in a area described as “a valley of ashes”. Myrtle is having an affair with Tom, who is the opposite of her husband. Tom is wealthy, well dressed, educated, and can give things to Myrtle that Wilson cannot. Tom buys Myrtle countless things to feed into her dream of having a rich life, such as an apartment in the city, a dog and magazines. All these things are not as glamorous as they seem. For example, the apartment is very small and is over decorated with large furniture and paintings. Tom buys these things for Myrtle to fill the void of wealth that she so eagerly wants, however at the end of the day she will go home to to Wilson, while Tom will return to his house in East Egg with his wife and child. This shows how the American Dream was corrupted by money and materialism. Myrtle cheats on her husband and will eventually be killed because of her desire for a affluent