The Roaring Twenties were a time of great success and wealth, but they were also times of greed and corruption. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is exceptional in portraying this vision of the Roaring Twenties, particularly the idea of corruption during this period. The most corrupt characters in the book come from the eggs of this novel, where money and power create corrupt people. The novel's themes, such as the ruined American dream, dishonesty, and money, reveal many of the corrupt aspects of this story. Characters who live in eggs are very prone to corruption because it is everywhere around them. Living lavish lifestyles allows them to bend society's rules and play the game of life however they choose. Of course, this type of freedom comes with a high price, often the result of the corruption of such freedoms. Tom gets away with the corrupt act of adultery throughout the story, but it comes at a price he doesn't realize. When Daisy is on the verge of breaking up with him to go to Gatsby, he says, "And what's more, I love Daisy too. Every now and then I go partying and making a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I always love her ." (251-252) This quote reveals that after years of corruption, he has lost the ability to feel remorse for the wrongdoings he has committed. The continuing corruption of adultery has created an unlikable man in Tom. Gatsby is a great example of how corruption can lead to the downfall of a lifelong dream. Part of his dream was to be as successful as possible. Although he achieved the goal, it was not without corruption. Tom revealed that he “bought a lot of drugstores here and in Ch......middle of paper......he was so close to realizing his dream, but his corrupt love for Daisy got in the way in the middle of. All the characters besides Nick are dishonest in some way; dishonesty is itself a corrupt thing. Gatsby lies about his past for much of the book. Daisy had no problem lying about Myrtle's murder, and Jordan is known for lying, whether it's about a game of golf or a roof being left open. From Tom's adventures, to the twisted and missing love of Gatsby and Daisy, corruption encompasses these characters. so that there is no escape. The setting of New York in the 1920s sets the stage for a story lacking the moral rectitude necessary to create an uncorrupt society. Themes such as dishonesty, the American dream, and money are directly linked to the corruption of the novel's setting and characters. Corruption is the backbone of the plot of The Great Gatsby.
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