Great Gatsby is one of the most thrilling novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Money and materialism lead to corruption is one of the major themes in the novel. Many characters in the play are obsessed with money and other earthly materials that have consequently brought about moral corruption as well as criminal corruption. Jay Gatsby is the main character in the play and through him, the issue of materialism and corruption are evident. From the play, Gatsby is a young rich man whose desire for wealth has made him one of the most corrupt characters in the novel. Although his corrupt nature is not explicitly explained in the novel, it is prudent to understand that his criminal corruption issues emerge during the frequent parties that he organizes now and then. For instance, it is alleged that he ‘’killed a man’’. Also from the party, we learn that he takes long distance phone calls at night, and he is said to have a close relationship with Meyer Wolfsheim, who is a known gangster. It is also important to note that Gatsby finds it difficult to explain his source of wealth saying that he just inherited.
Furthermore, the concept of corruption is evident in Gatsby especially from the Tom Buchanan discovery that Gatsby is involved in the Prohibition Era practice of ‘’bootlegging’’ which is a confirmation that Gatsby is a corruption criminal. In addition, the issue of moral corruption is evident from characters, Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. From the novel, we see these two characters commit adultery. The two have extra-marital affairs without disclosing it to their partners thus making it a moral corruption. Myrtle says to the husband that ‘’she goes to see her sister in New York’’ and goes ahead to meet Tom. The issue of materialism can also be expressed when Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby because of money. The constant reference to Gold in relation to Daisy is an indication of how Daisy was corrupted with money. In essence, the novel Gatsby has several characters through which the theme of money and materialism lead to corruption.
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