In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents a specific portrait of American society during the roaring twenties and tells the story of a man who rises from the gutter to great riches. This man, Jay Gatsby, does not realize that his new wealth cannot give him the privileges of class and status. Nick Carraway, who is from a prominent mid-western family, tells the story. Nick serves as our guide and/ or path finder in …showed first 75 words of 525 total…

…showed last 75 words of 525 total…character. Every other character, including Gatsby, are convinced that money brings them happiness. Materialism is exactly what leads to the characters corruption. Nick, however, went unaffected by this corruption. Because he was saw the corruption and greed of the other characters, he was able to avoid this pitfall. His character presents a clear statement of the theme, the corruption of the American Dream, allowing the readers to see how the theme affects the other characters.