, Research Paper
Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is more then one theme. Culture clash, the American dream, appearance and reality, and moral corruption are all discussed and considered themes of The Great Gatsby. The idea of moral corruption found in The Great Gatsby is exemplified not only in literature but in life as well.
The wealthy class is presented as morally corrupt in The Great Gatsby. The novel gives the feeling that there are no spiritual values and that the east is a place where money influences those that live there. For example, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy married couple, judge others based on their financial status. Daisy herself was in love with a man, Gatsby, but didn t marry because he wasn t wealthy or of old money. Tom is corrupt in his own way of having a mistress, Myrtle Wilson. Tom s inability to remain faithful to his wife is morally corrupt.
Society today is also morally corrupt. In the newspaper on any given day stories appear of murder, rape, divorce, and abuse, all examples of moral corruption. The idea of God and Religion has decreased and moral corruption has increased. For example, the resent movie, The Boiler Room tells the story of a young man that joins a brokerage firm where they profit from taking others money, even from those that are less fortunate and need the money. The brokers didn t think twice about this being morally wrong. Another example is seen in the television show Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire. It s morally wrong to marry a man for his money, especially a man that you don t even know. However, society has somehow accepted these acts in a less serious manner then it is.
The idea of moral corruption has increased and can be found anywhere from resent issues in the newspaper or on television to previous works of literature such as The Great Gatsby. Moral corruption is the result of lack of spiritual values, the influence of money, the decreased idea of God and Religion, and society itself.