Founding Father Benjamin Franklin described the American Dream as “the pursuit of a better existence…a higher quality of life through hard work, determination and devotion” (Benjamin Franklin ). The American Dream is the idea that if you work hard you can go from rags to riches and live a rich and prosperous life with moral values ​​of respect and integrity. Ironically, Franklin's version of the dream was decaying during the Roaring '20s, when society became corrupt and obsessed with greed. In his classic book, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows how the American dream of “hard work, determination and devotion” was deteriorating because society had become greedy and materialistic. Furthermore, moral values ​​were in decline and this was illustrated by Tom Buchannan and his relationship with Myrtle, Jay Gatsby and his illegal bootlegging business, and Daisy Buchannan and her relationship with Gatsby. Tom Buchannan, one of the main antagonists of The Great Gatsby, contributes greatly to the decline of Franklin's America. Instead of working hard and achieving wealth, Tom inherits his family's wealth and relies on it. In addition to becoming a lazy man who relies on his wealth, Tom has an affair with Myrtle, his lover. Tom has no true love for Myrtle, but rather is selfish with her beautiful body. He makes her believe he loves her by buying her clothes and jewelry. For example, Tom buys a dog for Myrtle when she says, “I want to get one of those dogs… they're nice to have – a dog” (Fitzgerald 27). What makes it clear that Tom is simply committed to Myrtle is his violent behavior at the party. When Myrtle shouted “Daisy! Margherita pizza! Daisy,” Tom Buchanan angrily “broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald 37). However,…the medium of paper…art and Daisy's false love for Gatsby represent all the ways in which Franklin's American dream declines during the 1920s. Even though Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchannan represent the corrupt society, Nick Carraway symbolizes the hard work and moral dignity which shows how there was still a little hope of an American dream dreamed by people like Carraway. Although an original American dream of "hard work, determination, and devotion" was ruined by these three characters, Nick Carraway represents the character of virtue and honesty that symbolizes true hard work determined to earn money through dedication and devotion. Works Cited1 . Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.2. Veitch, Jonathan. “Jay Gatsby, Shane, Nevada Smith A “Memoir”.” Company information, news and reports. HighBeam Business, March 22, 1999. Web. April 16. 2014.