The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott. Fitzgerald, wealth, and how it corrupts people and destroys lives is a main theme. Nick, the main character and protagonist, goes out from his home of Minnesota to Long Island, seeking money and glamour under the guise of starting up a bond business.

His new neighbor, Jay Gatsby, throws fancy parties every week, and soon strikes up a sort of friendship with Nick. This is mainly because Nick playes a main part in the reintroducing of a girl (Nick's cousin, Daisy) who Gatsby has been in love with for years. In fact, it is revealed that Gatsby, poor when they had met, had lied about his financial status and then taken to cheating and swindeling to eventually create a mass fortune.
The pursuit of wealth is evil in the end, and, even with all his money, he still doesn't get the girl.

Also, knowing that the book takes place in the 1920s, I think about wealth in the time period. The roaring 20s were a period of financial stability, ladies in flapper outfits, and happiness. World War I had been over with, the economy was booming, and the rich were richer. Jay Gatsby's lavish weekly parties might have something to do with the time period-- maybe he wanted to prove that he could fit in the rich who had money to burn. However, he is one of the rich, and he does have money to burn, but he's one of the new, self- made rich who who live on the west egg of Long Island (the old rich live in the east egg.) People like Gatsby are less tasteful than the aristocracy as well, and put up garish displays of money. He feels a need to prove himself and display his riches and to always be looking for more-- which essentially led to his downfall and the fall of the 20s. The economy, after its sudden post- war rise, dropped again after the 20s, more dreadfully and depressively than ever before.

After a series of disasters ultimately leading to the death of Gatsby and moving away of Daisy and her husband, Nick goes back to Minnesota. It's less complicated there, and people have true values-- caring about things other than money and wealth and maintaining the kindnesses that can make a personality, even if you're a beggar on the street.