A corrupt society In the 1920s, the American territory is transformed by a new dream that affects its population. The American dream, which in short is about achieving a perfect life and having everything you want, partly causes decadence, excess and disillusionment. Being rich is certainly one of the main achievements that have characterized American society. Through its characters, the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals the consequences of this dream on the population. The immorality of the characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan is due to the corrupt values ​​popularized by the American dream. This statement can be confirmed by the importance given to consumerism by Gatsby and his illegal act, and by Tom's supposed superiority and selfishness. American society attributes immoral values ​​to Jay Gatsby and also corrupts him with the importance given to money. Gatsby's first contact with the American dream occurs when he discovers Cody's large yacht: "[...] that yacht represented all the beauty and glamor of the world" (Fitzgerald 100). Cody is a man who makes his fortune in metal and becomes an alcoholic. It is important to note that Cody did not end well even though he was rich. In fact, it can be said that money corrupted Cody and that Cody in turn corrupted Gatsby, because without realizing it, he makes Gatsby recognize the importance of wealth and consumerism. The idea of ​​creating a false identity comes to Gatsby at this very moment. The false identity shows the corruption behind the American dream; Gatsby needs to be someone else to pursue this dream. In other words, the social feelings of the 1920s lead Gatsby to change himself to fit into the new society. Also…half of the paper…he wants to share with society. Having a lover makes him feel good because he is superior to someone and feels in control of the situation. Given these points, given the importance of being rich in society, Tom becomes selfish by always wanting a little more. All in all, the social feelings of the 1920s clearly influence the character in the novel. They make immoral decisions and follow the wrong values ​​of the time. Gatsby gets carried away by the world of consumerism and gets involved in criminal activities to win over a woman. Tom, on the other hand, born into the world of wealth, feels superior and pushes the idea of ​​consumerism to the extreme. Tom, who certainly follows the American dream, can be described as selfish, careless and racist. Finally, the corrupt society of the 1920s affected the characters by disseminating wrong values.