Cheating In The Great Gatsby

Improved Essays
F. Scott FItzgerald's claim in The Great Gatsby is that the american dream is a toxic thing and to truly “achieve” it, lying of some aspect has to occur which helps corrupt the integrity of the person trying to obtain the “american dream.

This is highlighted in his previously mentioned book The Great Gatsby in which many characters have attempted to obtain the american dream, or at least seem to have achieved it. A key example of this point is Jay Gatsby, or James Gatz. A man who went from practically nothing to becoming a hot-button topic, by rather sleazy ways, in order to impress a woman he liked. He corrupted his personal integrity by amassing a large fortune over the sale of alcohol during the prohibition, which had been illegal. Later he used his vast fortune to help adapt a new persona for himself, in which he confused the random people at his parties, by keeping his background in a shroud of mystery. So by withholding key information from the public gatsby not only lies to his guests, but also to himself that
…show more content…
Over the past few decades the american dream now requires whoever wants to participate to achieve academic excellence within the school system. This study focuses on a way that students are using to help maintain high grades. By ditching the moral integrity students cheat to help achieve higher grades. The toxic concept of having to do well, has coerced these kids into taking a step down the path into academic dishonesty. The problem is a small step away from dishonesty will eventually lead to bigger problems, but in the minds of the cheaters, they have rationalized that it’s fine, as long as they focus upon the things that they will be doing later in life. As long as they take this road to achieve the new american dream, they will be corrupted in sense, willing to succumb to cheating to get ahead in

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    A misrepresentation of a powerful message “The American Dream”, this saying can be heard anywhere across the country. It is used for books, films, articles, classrooms, speeches, and many more. To most people it means anyone can have all hopes and dreams fulfilled in America. Anyone can experience true joy and the power of money. Although this statement is both powerful and motivational, very few will achieve it.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gatsby Essay: Test In what way does Gatsby represent the American Dream and what does this say about Fitzgerald’s perception of the dream in the 20s and 30s? In what way do the themes of dreams, wealth and time relate to America at the time? In the story The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many themes and messages are portrayed through the character of Jay Gatsby.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream is an ideal of having equal opportunities to achieve success and prosperity through one 's hardwork. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick, the protagonist tries to pursue his own dreams, hoping to succeed in the ideals of the American Dream. Throughout the story, as more and more people enter Nick 's life, he realizes that the American Dream is simply an unrealistic idea, created to corrupt those trying to achieve it. In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream ruined the morality of those trying to accomplish it, and those who 'd already did. Fitzgerald symbolizes Jay Gatsby as the American Dream itself, as his morals were ruined through his selfish pursuit of unrealistic dreams, and eventually led him to his downfall.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The “American Dream” is one of the defining principles on which the culture of the United States is founded. It is the idea that just being a U.S. citizen gives one the ability to work one’s way up from the bottom and end up being successful. This promise draws many people to work very hard to better themselves in an attempt to attain this success that they believe is theirs for the taking. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby does just that.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An Analysis on The Great Gatsby Francis Scott Fitzgerald once said “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” Fitzgerald creates a story full of symbols including the American Dream, Dr. TJ Eckleberg Optometrist’s eye advertisement, the Valley of Ashes and the Green Light. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant one relates to the corruption of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame.…

    • 1468 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Unachievable Dream The American Dream is when someone is trying to achieve their lifelong dream. A lot of people dream of completing the American Dream but little to none can complete it. In The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald makes the American Dream unattainable to most of his characters including Gatsby. The American Dream is unattainable because of all the poor events that have happened to Gatsby. Through negative imagery and diction, Fitzgerald proves that the American Dream is unattainable because of all the harmful events that have happened to Gatsby.…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    He had wealth but he was not happy with his wealth because all that he had done to earn his money was so that he could do things and have expensive possessions so that Daisy would notice him and fall for him again but she never did. The American Dream has three central assumptions to it which is that America is a land of bounty, beauty and unlimited promise, the second is the belief in progress and being optimistic, and lastly the triumph of the individual. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows throughout his novel The Great Gatsby that the American Dream cannot be achieved if you follow these three assumptions. He shows the reader how the American Dream is not promised to anyone who can follow and succeed in these topics, but that many that do accept the challenge of achieving the American…

    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gatsby Daisy's Downfall

    • 1515 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The American Dream became an unattainable fantasy for Jay Gatsby. The American Dream is the belief that any person, regardless of their current situations, can become successful if the necessary work is exercised. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is based in the 1920s: the time where the American Dream equaled the pinnacle of success. It was Old money versus New money.…

    • 1515 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The corruption of the American Dream is a prevalent theme in classic literature, as it highlights the falsified illusions of social mobility and power commonly promoted during the early twentieth century. The motivation for socio-economic inclination is generally consumed by materialism and shallowness in an effort to satisfy the constant lack of self fulfillment, which inevitably leads to self destruction. Many people blindly accept the idealistic concept of social and economic mobility only to discover its unattainableness. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the corruption underlying the pursuit of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby. In an effort to captivate Daisy’s attention, Jay Gatsby publicly displays his wealth and…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Money, everyone wants it and not everyone can have it. Wealth is the epitome of success in America and the American Dream has developed through that thought process. America is known as the land of opportunity or in other words “the place to get rich”. The idea that through hard work anyone can become successful has been spread throughout the United States for decades and decades. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of achieving the American Dream.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Engaging the Fantasy The American dream is a way of life embraced by most people in America. It brings people together, provides a source of inspiration, and drives people to work hard, no matter where someone is in life, everyone has heard of the American dream. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, every character peruses his or her American dream, looking for success in their own way. While they made not specifically state that they are pursuing an American dream, every character as a goal they wish to achieve.…

    • 1693 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Dishonesty In Gatsby

    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Humans define Morality as a set of principles designating the good from the bad in behavior and ideology. We use it to guide each other and set parameters for acceptable actions, but these parameters change over time. In the 1920’s, several factors resulted in a looser morality, much of which encouraged dishonesty, including drinking in backlash against prohibition laws. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which takes place in this era, characters constantly lie to or outright deceive each other. For instance, the narrator, Nick Carraway, extols his own honesty, but as his audience, we see how he has repeatedly withheld information from his peers in important scenarios.…

    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Engaging the Fantasy The American dream is a method of establishing and pursuing goals embraced by many people in America. It brings people together, provides a source of inspiration, and drives people to work hard. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, every character pursues his or her American dream, looking for success in their own way. While Gatsby, Myrtle, and Tom do not specifically state that they are pursuing an American dream, every character has a goal they wish to achieve, whether it be the pursuit of a specific person, lifestyle, or simply maintaining the dream society believes they have already achieved.…

    • 1799 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    American Dream: The Great Gatsby In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. S. Fitzgerald writes about a time period in American history where achieving anything was possible, at least that was the common belief. Not only does he describe the economic, social, and historical circumstances that drive his characters, but also a glimpse into the minds of the characters that they use as a way to justify their actions and motives. The most basic reason for the actions that take place in the course of the book is towards an idea that many people are familiar with. It’s the American Dream.…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The American Dream; the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Unfortunately, back in the 1920’s this ideal remained but a mere dream for anyone trying to work their way up from rags to riches for the simple reason that it was practically impossible to become rich unless you were already born into it. In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald we get an up close and personal idea of what it was really like to be after the American Dream. However, instead of the typical dollar and a dream story Fitzgerald puts his own spin. For one, Fitzgerald criticizes the “American Dream” in every possible way throughout the entire book.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays