Examples Of Corruption In The Great Gatsby

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows examples of moral corruption with instances of lying, acts of affairs, and criminal activity. One of Fitzgerald’s symbols, the Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York City, is a long stretch of bleak land created by the fallout of industrial ashes. The Valley of Ashes represents the moral and social decay that results from the immoral pursuit of wealth. As the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure, the Valley of Ashes also symbolizes the troubles of the poor, like George Wilson, who lives in the Valley of Ashes.
One example of moral decay in the novel is instances of lying. Gatsby at first lies to Nick about his upbringing and states that he was a graduate from Oxford, but the readers later discover that Gatsby only stayed a only five months while working. Gatsby also lies about the origins of his money and work. Gatsby lies and explains that he had a chain of drug stores that he owned, but the …show more content…
By the end of the book, it is revealed that Gatsby is a bootlegger and worked for Meyer Wolfshien before he died. The biggest example of criminal activity in the novel was Gatsby’s murder. After Myrtle’s accident, Gorge goes to Tom’s home ready to kill Tom because he thinks Tom killed Myrtle. Tom immediately tells George that Gatsby was the person who killed Myrtle knowing what George would do to Gatsby. Instead of warning Gatsby or the police, Tom does nothing. After George kills Gatsby in Gatsby’s pool, he commits suicide. Later when Tom explains this to Nick, Tom states “That fellow had it coming to him. He ran over Myrtle like you’d run over a dog and never even stopped his car” (Fitzgerald 187). This quote explains that Tom Indirectly killed Gatsby to get rid of his problems with Gatsby. The quote also shows that Daisy is still lying to Tom about the accident when she was the one that killed