Throughout the novel, moral decadence is displayed by many members of the wealthy, ruthless upper-class society. For example, blatant adultery takes place throughout the novel. Tom Buchannan and Myrtle Wilson, both of whom have marriages with other people, arrange a meeting together in New York (Fitzgerald 30-31). Both Tom and Myrtle treat their spouses as their inferiors, and neither really respects his or her marriage at all. According to Kate Maurer, Tom openly participates in the affair with Myrtle. His wife Daisy has come to

The party guests overwhelm the funeral by virtue of their absence; they crowd the cemetery with conspicuous neglect. In a manifestation of severed social relations, they refuse Gatsby’s last act of hospitality and thereby transform their categorical position from one of presence to one of absence (Treddel 149).

Also in the novel, the unobtainable American Dream is sought by many, yet rarely obtained. In the novel, immense wealth provides many of the characters with material items. Many people consider the financial happiness, the most difficult, and most important step toward happiness. With money, people are able acquire all types of worldly possessions and an extravagant lifestyle. When Nick first visits the Buchannan’s, he says that “their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay (Fitzgerald 11). This statement suggests that the Buchannans live a beautiful, serene life in a beautiful, serene home. While Nick lives in a run-down cottage, they seem to live a far superior life in the lap of luxury. At times, the need for money is incorrectly believed to be far more important than the need for loving relationships with others. As an example of this from the novel, true happiness in the form of another companion is still sought by several characters. Nick Carraway, the novel’s narrator, says that “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And one fine morning-” (Fitzgerald 189). Carraway describes Gatsby as a person who despite the riches that he has obtained, continues to pursue the better life that he truly longs for. In particular, he believes that this better life includes Daisy Buchannan, who represents his green light. Even when he finally gets Daisy and realizes his dream, he finds far less satisfaction than he would have imagined. According to Nicholas Tredell, Gatsby believes the American Dream is realized by obtaining wealth and the perfect (111-112). However in the end, Gatsby fails to find satisfaction in his wealth, or in his re

Some topics in this essay:
American Dream, Wilson Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Buchannan, Gatsby Gatsby’s, Tom Myrtle, Apparently Gatsby, Georgian Colonial, Nicholas Tredell, american dream, unobtainable american dream, unobtainable american, tom buy, moral decadence, throughout novel, frequent exploitation, one’s own, material items, tom buchannan, true happiness, exploitation unobtainable american, frequent exploitation unobtainable, decadence frequent exploitation, moral decadence frequent,