Examples Of Moral Decadence In The Great Gatsby

The 1920’s were a time of moral decadence due to people striving to do what it takes to achieve the American Dream. Many people were greedy and inconsiderate of the people they affected by making the decisions that would only benefit them. Jay Gatsby’s way of achieving his American Dream is frowned upon by society due to his actions. Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby, demonstrates moral decadence through the selfish decisions he made, trying to win over a woman with his wealth, and his change from childhood to adulthood to prove that certain types of people will do anything to achieve their dream. Gatsby acts selfishly and makes decisions without caring how they will affect others. Gatsby only wants things to work out how he wants them
He even believes that he can win over a married woman by just showing her his possessions. Gatsby said, “I want you and Daisy to come over to my house. I’d like to show her around.”. This quote shows the first time Gatsby tries to impress Daisy with everything he owns. The only reason he wanted to have tea with Daisy at Nick Carraway’s house was so that he would be able to show her his vast wealth. A moral person would’ve tried to appeal to Daisy’s emotions instead of her desire for more money. Kenny Pugh, manager of KTP Financial, states that, “No matter how much you attempt to progress professionally, it has no direct benefit on your ability to attract and experience love.” This quote goes against everything Gatsby was attempting to accomplish throughout the novel. The whole reason for why Gatsby bought such elaborate and luxurious items was to win Daisy’s love. This quote states that your finances do not have a benefit when trying to experience love. Prewar Gatsby did not use wealth to win over Daisy, which shows the changes he went through during the course of the
He began as a child on a farm with great potential but becomes a selfish bootlegger who wasted his abilities. Henry Gatz states that, “If he’d of lived, he’d of been a great man. A man like James J. Hill. He’d of helped build up the country.” This quote shows that even Gatsby’s father saw that he could be a great legitimate businessman if he stayed hardworking, like he has been raised his entire life to be. Gatsby decided to change himself to reach the same goal economically but through illegal action and not having to work hard. The Graduate Farmer states that, “This requires the strongest individuals. Farming can sometimes bring loses if the weather does not go your way or if you accidentally mismanage your crops and livestock. You need to be patient with yourself if you really want to succeed.” This quote shows that Gatsby is not a strong willed person since he did not want to be a farmer like his father. There is more to the quote than just being a farmer. The quote goes beyond farming in a sense that in order to be successful you must be patient and willing to go the necessary lengths to be successful. His weak will leads him to making fast and easy money off of cheating people. Young Gatsby was stronger willed than adult Gatsby. Gatsby’s transition from farming to participation in illegal business made him a selfish man because he always wanted more wealth so he could win back Daisy. Despite Gatsby’s