Fitzgerald's corrupt view of society in The Great Gatsby "What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story," it has been said of the novel by Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is about American society at its worst and the downfall of those who attempt to achieve its illusory goals. The idea is that through wealth and power one can acquire happiness. To find his happiness, Jay Gatsby must go back in time and relive an old dream. To achieve his dream, he must possess wealth and power. Fitzgerald was wrong in the way he presented Gatsby's American society because of the way Gatsby made money, found love, and lived his life. The way Gatsby made money was a despicable practice. Gatsby's bootlegging business earned him millions. The Prohibition era in the 1920s was an opportune time to take advantage of the shortage of alcohol and sell it to those willing to pay large sums to acquire it. Organized criminals responded to the needs of consumers by illegally supplying them with alcohol. The book and Fitzgerald did not directly refer to...