This is an essay re-write. I made some changes on the essay. Can you proofread my essay? How can I add more explaination to quote labeled page 141? Also, how can I prove that Lucille, the woman from Gatsby's party, is corrupted? Thanks in advance!
The Roaring Twenties was a new era in response to the horrific World War I. Many people, seeing the wounded returning and knowing families that had lost loved ones, felt lost and disconnected from their previous life. As a result, many women and young people adopted a more relaxed moral attitude that went against traditional roles and values. This typical 1920s society is presented in Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. In his novel, Fitzgerald reveals materialism is corrupting the society.
One character that confirms that materialism is corrupting society is Daisy. Daisy is materialistic from the beginning. Gatsby states, "She only married you [Tom] because I was poor" (137). The fact that Daisy left Gatsby and married Tom for his money shows that she is materialistic. Furthermore, Daisy's materialism reflects on her character. Daisy does not care for others, and she values Tom's money over Gatsby's love. The materialistic values that Daisy holds, therefore, ultimately corrupt her. Her corruption is further proven when Gatsby later describes to Nick Daisy's car accident, "Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and lost her nerve and turned back...Daisy stepped on it." (151). Daisy's cruel action shows her corruption, since she continues to drive without any consideration of the pedestrian, Myrtle. As is evident, her materialism results in her lack of a sense of humanity. She disregards the welfare of other human beings, because she cares only for her possessions. Furthermore, Daisy's materialism causes her to act selfishly through her careless lifestyle. Nick states, "Daisy...smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into [her] money or [her] vast carelessness..." (188). Daisy's carelessness reveals her corruption. She uses her wealth and position to escape whatever she chooses. In this case, she flees from the death of Tom's mistress, Myrtle, and lets Gatsby take the blame, showing her corruption. Moreover, her action demonstrates the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain, as she uses her money as she pleases in her advantage over the lower class. Thus, materialism corrupts her, causing her to disregard the feelings of others. In addition, she gives no respect to the person she runs over. Thus, her attachment to money causes her to be corrupted, since materialism causes her to show no compassion for human beings altogether.
Another character that demonstrates the corruption of materialism is Gatsby. From the beginning of the novel, Gatsby is also materialistic. Nick comments, " he took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them one by one before [Daisy]...green and lavender and faint orange" (98). As a result, his action in displaying his different colored silk shirts serves as a statement to Daisy of the wealth he has accumulated. In the process of impressing her, he becomes materialistic. Gatbsy's ambitions are sacrificed for his determined obsession of living up to Daisy's standards and pursuing Daisy. Unfortunately, materialism causes Gatsby to act desperately, which leads to his corruption. Gatsby's corruption is made known when Tom tells Daisy, "He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter" (141). Consequently, Gatsby's materialistic desire of winning Daisy's heart causes him to be involved in shady businesses with Wolfshiem, proving materialism corrupts him. As a result, Gatsby's materialistic values ultimately are damaging, since Gatsby receives a notorious reputation and is known as a corrupted man.
A third character that exhibits corruption of materialism is Tom. From the beginning of the novel, Tom is materialistic. Nick comments how Tom states, " 'I've got a nice place' [and] turn me around by one arm...along the front vista, including a sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep pungent roses and...through a highway into a bright rosy-colored space" (12). Obviously, Tom takes pride in and is devoted to his possessions. His boastful remark of having a "nice place" clearly reveals his obsession with his riches. Furthermore, the flaunting of his place clearly shows that he gives much attention to the house's grandeur and great appearance. Tom, therefore, is materialistic. Accordingly, Tom's materialism leads to his corruption. Tom states, "I told [Wilson] the truth...That fellow had it coming to him" (187). Tom's focal interest in money results in his corruption when he only thinks of his own comfort and pleasure and retreats back to his money following Myrtle's death. Since he leaves Gatsby behind to be killed, he is responsible for the horrible manslaughter of Gatsby. As is evident from Tom's false accusation, he cares more about money than he does for the death of a human being. The terrible outcome of Tom's materialism shows Tom's corruption, as he is devoid of emotion for others and lacks morality.
Besides characters, Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's party, a symbol that also shows materialism is corrupting society. The people from the party defy moral principles. Nick states, "His guests diving from the tower of [Gatsby's] raft...conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks" (43, 45). The people of the party take advantage of Gatsby by using his belongings. They treat Gatsby's mansion as they would "amusement parks." Their vulgar manner and outrageous behaviors reveal the corruption of society. Such unpleasant behaviors and selfish actions from the people at Gatsby's party are caused by their materialistic values. Nick notices, "the number of young Englishmen ...agonizingly aware of the easy money in vicinity [and] the two or three people of whom I asked [the host's] whereabouts stared at me in such an amazed way and denied so vehemently any knowledge of his moments" (46). The conversation among these men reveals that they are interested in money. The people from Gatsby's party are so concerned with their wealth that they do not pay attention to the host. Their concern for money is the reason for their lack of morality and the disorder of the mansion. Lucille, another person from Gatsby's party, also holds materialistic values. Nick recalls what Lucille says, "When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and [Gatsby] asked my name and address-inside of a week I got a package from Croirier's with a new evening gown in it...Two hundred and sixty five dollars" (47-48). Lucille brings up the incident of how she got a new evening gown. The only thing she can describe of this event is the monetary value of the gown. Because the guests at Gatsby's party are overly enthralled with the lavish party, they show little attention to their morality. Gatsby's party is simply a gathering for his guests to socialize about their personal gains and money. As a result, Gatsby's party demonstrates the corruption of materialism.
Thus, through his characters and through the party that can be viewed as a microcosmic symbol of the larger society, Fitzgerald shows that materialism causes the corruption of society. Through Fitzgerald's novel, he reflected the Roaring Twenties, a decade of broken traditions. The flappers, young and unrestrained women, disregarded society's former conventions of etiquette and fashion. In addition, these women, using makeup and wearing short dresses, cut their hair in what was called a "bob." Furthermore, they smoked and drank, enjoying speakeasies that were created to dodge prohibition and sell illegal alcohol secretively. As demonstrated in history, the society of 1920s lost its spiritual values, and it was corrupted.
