The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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THE GREAT GATSBY

Money is a sign of power, a symbol of authority, and a mark of distinction. Money determines a person's influence and control over others. It is money that changes peoples' lives, either for the good or for the bad. In most cases, money has to be earned in one way or the other. However, there is a lot more to money than earning it. Even though wealth makes life much easier, it builds a foundation for immense desire, squander, ignorance, and substandard morals.

In The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the power of wealth over the supremacy of love. Throughout the novel, Gatsby deeply loves Daisy, and wants to marry her. Unfortunately, he is not as wealthy as her in the beginning, and is therefore unable to marry her. Although Gatsby and Daisy spend some years together, social discrimination between classes at the time separates them both.

Also, Daisy doesn't love Gatsby as much as he loves her, since she can find better men with all the money that she has. In order to obtain Daisy, Gatsby turns to crime and makes a lot of money. The morals he had earlier in life, when he wasn't wealthy, were a lot more sincere than committing crime:

On the last fly-leaf was printed the word SCHEDULE, and the date September 12th, 1906. And underneath: Rise from bed...Be better to parents. (181)

It is important to note how Gatsby has tried to erase his history. Earlier in life, Gatsby changes his name, reject his parents, and leaves his hometown in North Dakota forever. He makes himself into a man without a history, and starts a new

life, fresh from the beginning, one which will help him forget his harsh past. The dream of making a lot of money causes Gatsby...