The American Dream in the back in the 1920's was originally .
about pursuing happiness, growth, and indivivualism, but the dream .
was corrupted by greed and the desire for pleasure. In the Great Gatsby, .
almost every character had a desire for something. The characters in the .
story were corrupted by greed. .
Jay Gatsby, the stories main character, is the first example of .
amorality. Coming from a poor family with nothing, Gatsby desired .
wealth, security, and to be an intellectual aristocrat. He wished to .
impress Daisy, whom he fell in love with while on duty for the military. .
He aquired his wealth, but it was through bootlegging and other .
criminal acts. He begins to create himself over again and even changes .
his name. He throws many lavish parties and purchased a large mansion in the .
"West Egg." Gatsby longs for his younger days when he and Daisy were in .
love. .
.
Tom is another key character in the story. He is married to Daisy, .
Gatsby's love interest. Tom desires power and wealth and he is a very .
arrogant man. He tries to control everyone and everything, especially .
women. He cheats Daisy with other mens' wives. He expects everyone .
around him to live up to his moral standards, which he himself does not .
follow. .
Daisy is the wife of Tom. She and Gatsby were in love and she .
promised to wait for him when he went to war, but when Tom asked her .
to marry him, she decided not to wait any longer. She desires easy .
wealth and luxury. She is a careless person who hides behind her money. .
She allows Gatsby to take the blame for killing Myrtle Wilson, when .
she herself killed her with her car. Then she doesn't attend Gatsby's .
funeral, but moves away. .
.
In this story, it shows how the "American Dream" was diluted by greed .
and pleasure in the 1920's. Many people desired to be rich and started .
becoming amoral. The story depicts Fitzgerald's view of life in the 1920's. He .
felt that the "American Dream" was corrupted by amorality and greed.