Examine the ways in which The Great Gatsby explores the corruptive effects of wealth.

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Examine the ways in which The Great Gatsby explores the corruptive effects of wealth.

The Great Gatsby was set in the 1920s and in this time wealth was spread all over America, particularly in New York, and in F. Scott Fitzgerald's fictional villages of the East and West Egg, where The Great Gatsby was set. In America many people had made their money by themselves without the help of an inheritance. Wealth was displayed in the type of car you drove, to the size and position of your house, and this idea that each person, no matter what their background, could succeed, was known as the 'American Dream'. This occurred because unlike England where there was a clearly defined class system, in which people remained within their class level, in America a poor person born into poverty could by whatever means, become a wealthy person, mixing in society with other wealthy people. This is no more evident than in F. Scott Fitzgerald's character Jay Gatsby. However, such wealth often attracted jealousy, and in turn, corruptive behaviour.
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In the 1920s, America was a financial goldmine with many individuals making huge sums of money. Post-World War One, many women entered the workforce, and factory production methods improved, creating a significant boost to America's economy. More often than not, however, some of the money that people made was earned through corruptive methods. Two characters, Gatsby and Myer Wolfshiem, both acquired their money through illegal means, with Gatsby illicitly selling alcohol through pharmacies, which was banned during America's unsuccessful prohibition between 1919-1929. To acquire his wealth, Gatsby was involved in fraudulent behaviour and was an example of the ...

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The Quality of Writing (QWC) here is good. There are moments where the candidate makes the same mistake twice (writing "Myer Wolfshiem" instead of "Meyer Wolfshiem") but other than that the QWC is very consistently of good standard. I would recommend therefore that the candidate simply re-read their work and be sure that they have not used any malapropisms or mis-spelt without realising - we all do it; make spelling and grammar errors without recognising at the time of writing, so a proof-read is always important before coursework submission of before the examination time is over.

The Level of Analysis here is very proficient and indicative of a student working towards a strong A/A* grade for GCSE. I estimate this answer is worth probably 29 or 30/32 marks. There is a good use of quotes and page references to back up all analytical points throughout the entirety of the essay, an d the candidate showing a wide knowledge of both character and plot as they use a wide variety of references from Fitzgerald's novel to fortify their answer. Though a highly impressive answer, some improvements could be made; it's not that any of the analyses is erroneous, but particularly when the candidate speaks of Daisy, they could mention the child she and Tom share - this child is not even named and Daisy can't bare to be around her (despite appearing to adore her when in public) and so ushers her away under the care of the Nanny. What does this say about the only thing Daisy's ever done that requires care and commitment? It further corrupts her, because she has never had to face responsibility before. The answer would be perfect otherwise but perhaps a little more depth in only a few areas could serve the candidate well.

This is an extremely confident response to the question. The candidate tackles the task set very well and retains an unbroken focus on the question, resulting in a flowing, succinct essay that, at the end of every paragraph, is wise to reference the steer of the question. This is good because it shows the examiner the focus in consistently placed on the question and that the candidate is answering that question directly by tying all points and analysis made back to it. This is a very well-written essay.