How Does Fitzgerald Create Corruption In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald is filled with love, money, and a man of complete mystery and wealth who is on the right track of success until his past comes back to haunt him, and tests whether his love for selfish and beautiful Daisy will be enough to win. The novel tells a story about a wealthy man who throws lavish parties in hopes of winning his former lover, Daisy Buchanan back. Throughout The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald develops the themes of corruption of the illusion of happiness and the American dream by utilizing literary techniques throughout the novel.

Fitzgerald emphasizes the false nature of happiness by deftly exposing the hollowness of the expensive parties and lifestyles presented in the book. The mysterious

The personification of the dream, Gatsby, thinks that his wealth and social standing will enable him to win over Daisy. However, he only ends up failing because of his quest for monetary achievement. This theme is illustrated by symbolism in Fitzgerald's writing, as seen in Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's Eyes: a dilapidated billboard in the Valley of Ashes. The billboard's deteriorating eyes serve as a chilling reminder of the moral rot and corruption that the wealthy elite are hiding from public view. The quotation, "But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn scene" (Fitzgerald, 26). captures this symbolism. The significance of symbolism of the eyes demonstrates the intricate dualities of the human heart and uses Dr. T.J. Eckleburg and Owl Eyes to portray the moral and spiritual deterioration of American civilization. Both symbols have glasses and seem to be experiencing double vision. To add on, Gatsby contributes to the American Corruption through his criminal actions without the novel. In chapter four of the novel, Gatsby enters the church and women chattered at his entrance. “’ He’s a bootlegger,’ said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers. ‘One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil” (Fitz 61). This quote gives us a glimpse

Gatsby's obsession with Daisy derives from their long-ago romantic relationship, yet time and the changes that have happened prevent him from reliving that period. The green light at Daisy's dock's end symbolizes Gatsby's aspirations and desire for a return to the past. Fitzgerald's use of symbolism is best illustrated by the phrase, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us." This quotation perfectly expresses the notion that the past cannot be changed and that clinging to it will only result in disappointment and hopelessness” (Fitz 123). The green light is Gatsby's future aspirations and is situated at the end of Daisy's East Egg pier, barely visible from Gatsby's West Egg lawn. Gatsby reaches toward it in the dark as a guiding light to help him attain his objective since he links it with Daisy. In addition, from a unique perspective, the American dream is unattainable in particular ways. Because of the way Gatsby set himself up and had his morals and ego so high set. the American Dream can feel to all Americans, even the most wealthy and privileged. “A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about … like that ashen, fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees” (Fitz 153–4). For many Americans in the 1920s, achieving the American ideal was an impossible