In the Great American classic, The Great Gatsby, many critics have aligned their opinions with the fact that Gatsby was corrupted by the thought of money. Gatsby was portrayed as the American Dream, going from having nothing to being extremely wealthy, but along the line he was caught up in illegal affairs and resulting in his own corruption. In the beginning Gatsby had nothing just a plan for achieving his American Dream.
After reading the Great Gatsby I had come to the conclusion that Gatsby had been corrupted by the society around him and the people he most associated with. Most modern day critics, say that Gatsby’s lust for money corrupted his love for Daisy. Gatsby didn’t love Daisy, but was in love with the idea of having everything, the perfect life. In the end, his vast amounts of wealth could not buy Daisy’s love or even his own happiness. Gatsby filled the void in his heart by surrounding himself with expensive things, but the way in which he acquired his wealth, though not clearly stated in the novel, can be assumed he took the easy way of turning to a life of crime. Gatsby’s romantic view of money did not prepare him for the selfish and corrupt circle of people in which he would soon be associated with. Although through Nick’s narration, Gatsby is portrayed as more of a kind man than the audience has perceived. Nick narrated Gatsby in a romantic way. One critic who believes that Gatsby was corrupted by his wealth is David S.Trask saying
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Although David S.Trask’s theory holds some truth, it is not the full truth. But the way society clouded Gatsby’s vision and made him lose sight of himself. Gatsby's love for Daisy was pure until he got involved with Meyer Wolfsheim and his illegal antics.I can conclude that Gatsby was corrupted by his greed. His greed for money, his greed for fancy things and his greed for