The Great Gatsby

The 1920s were the years of Prohibition - the sale and purchase of alcohol was forbidden in the United States. Gatsby's money bought him an unspoken permission to have those parties. Gatsby acknowledges his friendly relationship with the commissioner to Nick. He says that he "was able to do the commissioner a favor once, and he sends me a Christmas card every year." Fitzgerald completely trashes the power of the laws when Gatsby was stopped for speeding and acknowledged himself, the policeman said: "Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me!" (72). What message is he trying to convey? Is the power of money infinite? Fitzgerald divides his characters into two categories: those who have been negatively affected by money and those who have been affected by it to a lesser degree. It is very important for the reader to understand that there are no positive characters in this novel. Nick Carraway is the only character in the novel who has to work for his money. Throughout the novel the reader can also see that Nick is probably the only one who has good moral values. It seems that Fitzgerald uses Nick's character for contrast. The goodness of Nick's character emphasizes the negative qualities of others. Jordan Baker's character is shaped not so much around money, but the issue of social standing. Since Jordan was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she makes her living by playing golf. It would be fair to say that money is important to Jordan, since her life revolves in circles where one's social standing is determined by his wealth. It is also evident from Jordan's own story (79-83) that even when she was young, she admired that wealthy society and wanted to be a part of it. She understood that Daisy's popularity was not based solely on her good looks, but rather on what her family's money made her to be: a beautiful rich girl. However, to be a part of that society one has to sacrifice certain things - moral values and feelings.