mysterious identity and his true past is revealed. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the theme of corruption in the American Dream by exposing the unhappiness brought by wanting to achieve wealth and power for materialistic reasons. Unhappiness from wanting materialistic wealth and value can be seen in Tom and Daisy’s marriage. The consequence of Daisy’s decision between love and wealth exposes the corruption of the American Dream. Before Gatsby leaves for the war, Daisy promises to wait for him to return to continue their relationship. However, after his departure, “she wanted her life shaped now immediately and […] that force took shape in […] Tom Buchanan […] a wholesome bulkiness about his person and his position” (151). The diction “immediately” indicates that Daisy is able to forget about her all her love for Gatsby for someone else because of the “bulkiness about his person and his position.” Fitzgerald’s use of words shows that Daisy chooses Tom’s looks and money, superficial and materialistic values, over love, a true happiness. By choosing Tom, Daisy obtains her desired wealth and status, but because she did so for materialistic and superficial reasons, she enters a marriage that was never meant to be. The couple is rich and is of high status, but their marriage is unhappy. The false happiness displayed in Tom and Daisy’s relationship is Fitzgerald’s way to portray the corruption of the idea of wealth in American Dream. It was thought to be a goal for happiness but it is in fact a road to misery. A similar unhappiness can also be seen in Myrtle and Wilson’s marriage.
The sorrow brought by wanting materialistic wealth can be seen in Myrtle and Wilson’s marriage. Myrtle’s motive for cheating on Wilson with Tom also demonstrates the corruption of the American Dream. Myrtle, during one of her affairs with Tom exposes that “The only crazy [she] was was when [she] married him […] He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in” (35). The word “crazy” indicates Myrtle’s strong feelings of disapproval towards her husband’s lack of money. By saying this she reveals that she was attracted to him not because of love but because he seemed to have money. Wilson’s lack of riches to fulfill her needs causes her to regret her marriage to him. Not only that, but her affair with Tom is because of his wealth and power. Her motive exposes that she is merely attracted to materialistic wealth and will strive for it even if it means having an affair. Myrtle’s materialistic values that are the causes of her own unhappiness is Fitzgerald’s way to display to readers that the wealth of the American Dream is a façade to what is actually unhappiness. Another victim of this façade is none other than Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, upon gaining materialistic wealth, suffers the consequences by leading a lonely life.
Gatsby materialistic use of his riches results in his lack of true companions. Gatsby hosted amazing parties every weekend at his mansion. He was able to cater to the guests that “used to go there by the hundreds” (175), but most at the parties reported to “[have not] seen the host” (47). Fitzgerald’s use of “hundreds” emphasizes the extent of his parties. Because Gatsby does not emphasize his presence well enough and there are so many guests that he isn’t able to meet with them all and actually establish true relationships with them. The guests are mainly there for use of his parties. This leads to many superficial relationships between Gatsby and his guests. Later in the novel, preceding Gatsby’s funeral, as Nick tries to find attendees, he isn’t able to. Upon arrival of Gatsby’s father, Nick is relieved because it “promised another friend at Gatsby’s grave […] they were hard to find” (168-169). The difficulty of finding attendees to his funeral indicates that many did not want to go to his funeral and that Gatsby did not have many friends. Many of his relationships with people, especially those at his party, were superficial and because of that he had lived a lonely life. Gatsby’s life of riches, which causes his own loneliness and unhappiness, is the corruption of the American
Dream. By exposing the unhappiness that comes with the idea of materialistic wealth of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the theme of corruption. In Tom and Daisy’s marriage, because Daisy had married Tom for superficial and materialistic wealth, their marriage consists of their unhappiness. Shown in Myrtle’s reason for cheating, wanting to achieve materialistic wealth results in a marriage full of regret and dishonesty. Gatsby’s way of living out his American Dream with materialistic parties results in a life of loneliness. Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the unhappiness that comes with materialistic wealth as the corruptness of the American Dream in his novel reveals how material wealth and power does not equate to ones happiness. The Great Gatsby illustrates how the idea of the American Dream is only a façade of happiness masking what is really a road that leads to despair and sadness.