01-10-02
The Corruption in The Great Gatsby
One of the major themes of The Great Gatsby is the corruption of society and its people. ‘Corruption’ is defined as “decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration”. But how would people of such a wealthy and relaxed life come to be corrupt, would be a difficult question to without seeing and experiencing the characters of this masterpiece of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby truly reinstates the fact that the rich and the beautiful do have problems…
The Buchanans are millionaires that are spending their lazy days with their lazy life. How does ‘decomposition’ and ‘disorganization’ come into this on to this tale? Well of course there is infidelity, and not just by one of them but both. Tom is corrupt character, he is a racist, sexist, hypocrite, arrogant, dishonest and more. Yet he comes from a rich and socially stable family, this powerful status keeps other off his backs, and he is free to roam about with his outrageous views and ego. When Tom begins to discover Daisy’s affair with Gatsby, he almost immediately faces this, with a few angry looks and words. But he doesn’t think of hiprocisy that he is showing with his second significant other Myrtle. Tom is an example of what 1920’s old money comes to be, only propelled by their upper class status. They are too good for West Egg; they are the classy, the elegant, and the sophisticated. And put out their top of their lives to mask the unattractive corrupt reality.