The Great Gatsby offers an image of American society in the 1920s. This is a critical decade in which the vision of the American dream has been transformed from an ideal dream to a materialistic dream. The vision of the American Dream has always been to start from the bottom and work your way to the top. It was once based on discovery, self-confidence and happiness. The old American dream before corruption allowed you to gain love, high status, money and power through work. You had to work hard to get to the top. The American dream was also based on family. However, times have changed, and so have values. The American dream has transformed into the materialistic aspects. The goal was to have a huge house, fancy cars, and live life easily. It was no longer about work and dedication. Materialistic objects determine success now instead of vice versa, which shows that corruption has taken place. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the American dream and its corruption through the evolution of a society from the wealth and social statuses achieved. One way Fitzgerald illustrates the American dream and its corruption is through the decay of moral and social principles. values. Once the American dream transformed into a more materialistic vision, the loss of moral and social values ​​began to occur. Society was losing itself in wealth which leads to greed. The pursuit of happiness has transformed into the pursuit of pleasure. For example, in the novel, Gatsby began throwing wild parties every Saturday. Gatsby began to become ignorant and allow his newfound wealth to go to his head. The true goal of love was tainted and lost by the new social status it had acquired. Gatsby was also once not true to himself, which shows a loss... middle of paper... of pleasure and money. This dream that once included individuality, happiness and discovery has changed to a more materialistic dream. The Great Gatsby has become a novel symbolic of what money and newfound prosperity can do to a society. It is symbolic for America and how the corruption of the American dream can cause the corruption of the world. Works Cited Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Opinions: F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Bryant Mangum, "The Great Gatsby," Encyclopedia of the Fiction, ed. Paul Schellinger, London and Chicago: Fitzroy-Dearborn, 1998, pp. 514-515. Reprinted by permission of Fitzroy-Dearborn Publishers.Fahey, William. F. Scott Fitzgerald and the American Dream. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1973. Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.