Scott Fitzgerald also follows the theme of breaking social norms, except this time showing the counterculture in society. The book itself focuses on the story of Jay Gatsby through the events experienced by the main character and narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is Gatsby's neighbor and friend during the last year of his life, during this period Nick experiences a reality completely separate from his own. Experience the world of someone who wasn't born into money but instead made it illegitimately. The book shows the darker side of some businesses, with secret crime syndicates that function unbeknownst to the masses. Gatsby participates in some of these seedy activities and is undoubtedly a con man; however this book uses his rise to power to show a point of view not commonly considered, that of the gangster/con man. That person who got to where he was by trampling on everyone else and becoming a person totally devoid of morals. Nick also experiences a change in persona by the end of the book, although he initially makes Gatsby seem sort of lower class, no one throughout the book gains much respect for him, the last time Nick sees Gatsby alive he tells him “They're a rotten crowd…You're worth the whole damn bunch put together” (164 Fitzgerald). This total change in character occurs because Nick realizes that what society has taught him is not 100% true. He realizes that the norms established by his culture and society are all wrong and are based only on black and white thinking. He realizes that class isn't as relevant as he initially thought. The book expresses the counterculture of that time period, promiscuous women, gangsters and corruption. He approaches the underworld from the eyes of a wealthy narrator who has never come into contact with such things, allowing him to guide us through how he understands other areas of life. Because the characters all represent opposites

Topic > Scott Fitzgerald also follows the theme of breaking social norms, except this time showing the counterculture in society. The book itself focuses on the story of Jay Gatsby through the events experienced by the main character and narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is Gatsby's neighbor and friend during the last year of his life, during this period Nick experiences a reality completely separate from his own. Experience the world of someone who wasn't born into money but instead made it illegitimately. The book shows the darker side of some businesses, with secret crime syndicates that function unbeknownst to the masses. Gatsby participates in some of these seedy activities and is undoubtedly a con man; however this book uses his rise to power to show a point of view not commonly considered, that of the gangster/con man. That person who got to where he was by trampling on everyone else and becoming a person totally devoid of morals. Nick also experiences a change in persona by the end of the book, although he initially makes Gatsby seem sort of lower class, no one throughout the book gains much respect for him, the last time Nick sees Gatsby alive he tells him “They're a rotten crowd…You're worth the whole damn bunch put together” (164 Fitzgerald). This total change in character occurs because Nick realizes that what society has taught him is not 100% true. He realizes that the norms established by his culture and society are all wrong and are based only on black and white thinking. He realizes that class isn't as relevant as he initially thought. The book expresses the counterculture of that time period, promiscuous women, gangsters and corruption. He approaches the underworld from the eyes of a wealthy narrator who has never come into contact with such things, allowing him to guide us through how he understands other areas of life. Because the characters all represent opposites