The theme of human corruption, its sources and consenquences, is a coomon concern among
writers from Shakespeare through J.D Salinger. Some suggest that it attacks from outside, while
others depict corruption occuring from within the individual. In the case if The Great Gatsby
and it's protagonist's fate, Fizgerald shows both factors at work. The moral climate of the
Roaring Twenties, Daisy Fay Buchanan's pernicious hold on him, and Jay Gatsby's own nature all
contribute to his tragic demise.
First, the loose morality of Dan Cody, Gatsby's unfortunate role model, and superficial
people w…
