Monty J’s comment > Likes and Comments

...Fitzgerald believed himself doomed to wander forever in the Valley of Ashes, felt it was what he earned, what he deserved. Not a happy man, and not one to preach against moral decay,

I think you mean Nick here instead of Fitzgerald. In any event, Fitzgerald is far too good a writer to come across as preachy, but the book radiates a moral message in the subtle use of religious symbolism (e.g, Gatsby is killed on an air mattress--his "cross"--that a chauffeur offered to help him carry, mimicking Jesus on his way to crucifixion) and also in the way the two most wicked characters are killed off, as I mentioned above.

The novel's moral message is well expressed in the final paragraph of Scott Donaldson's article, "Possessions in The Great Gatsby." as reprinted in H. Bloom's collection, Interpretations of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby:

"...The Great Gatsby conveys another message as well: It tells a cautionary tale about the debilitating effects of money and social class on American society and those who seek fulfillment within its confines.

Myrtle one of the most corrupt characters?? Really? I don't think so- we have Wolfshiem and Tom Buchanan, Tom, who punched Myrtle in the face. And I don't see any religious reference at all.

Tom didn't actually punch, he flicked his wrist, and only after Myrtle goaded him by repeating Daisy's name, after he warned her. It was established earlier that Tom didn't know his own strength when he accidentally hurt Daisy's wrist. He's an adulterous brute, but not a wife-beater.

Myrtle is an adulterous manipulator who treats her husband like a dog. It's a close call, but I put Tom above her because he: 1--vows to reform and treat Daisy better, 2--protects his family from George by giving him the information he wants and 3--has Gatsby investigated, thereby exposing his criminality to Daisy and saving his marriage.