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The Great Gatsby Greed Analysis

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Greed: The Disintegration of our Moral Character Greed does not rest until it is satisfied, and greed is never satisfied. It is like an infection that begins as harmless exposure but then develops into a chronic illness, paralyzing all former morale and character of a human being. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby the reader sees evident examples of the corruption of wealth and greed exemplified. The dehumanizing nature of wealth is carried out in the characters, the plot, and the symbolism of Fitzgerald's novel. Fitzgerald reveals the corruptive nature of wealth through the characters he places in his novel. In these characters we see the attraction to wealth turn into the gain of wealth, and once that wealth is granted the …show more content…

Within his symbolism lies the underlying truth of the story: greed in the end fails even the greedy. This is portrayed in the valley of ashes that Fitzgerald illustrates in the novel. The valley of ashes is geographically between West Egg and New York City. The valley of ashes represents absolute poverty and destruction. It is full of ¨men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air… ash-grey men¨(Fitzgerald, 23). It symbolizes the fall and obliteration of wealth and fortune. It is surrounded by the flashy, rich lifestyle on either side, but itself represents the true outcome of greed. The valley of ashes exemplifies the fall of the selfish and greedy that are all around it. In the same way, Fitzgerald’s use of the colors yellow and gold play a significant role in the delineation of the destructive power of greed. When he describes the gold of the Buchanan's home and Daisy as the ¨golden girl¨ he is describing the true, authentic wealth of old money. However, when themes of yellow are used such as Gatsby's car or ¨...two girls in twin yellow dresses¨ (Fitzgerald, 42). He is rather characterizing the flashy, new money. The yellow imagery describes the greed and desire to enter the wealthy society of New York. Fitzgerald uses symbolism in his novel to describe the disgusting, disintegration of the

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