In this essay we will first describe the story and in the second part draw conclusions on religion and the story. The principal character and narrator, Nick Carraway moves after the First World War to New York. He works here as a broker and is determined to earn a lot of money. His new neighbor on Long Island in a neighbourhood called West Egg is Jay Gatz said Great Gatsby. He holds expensive parties and is extremely popular in the local society. West Egg is also a place of residency of Nick’s distant cousin Daisy, with her husband Tom Buchanan and little daughter.

Tom is unfaithful to Daisy with Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a mechanic in town, and everyone knew about it. Daisy was is happy in her marriage. Nick meets at one of his parties Daisy. They start to befriend themselves and Nick learns about Great Gatsby through her more and more. Gatsby was originally named Gatz and came from a poor background. He ran away from home and gradually earned enough money. Then he recognized Daisy and madly in love with her. They knew just a month before he had to go to war. In war he reached the rank of major and some time studied at Oxford University. Daisy, meanwhile, got married, although she promised to wait for him. Gatsby is now reportedly burdened with alcohol and doing everything he can do to get Daisy back. Gatsby asks Nick if he would not meet with Daisy in his house. He is very nervous and Daisy is surprised.

Gatsby would do anything to become lover of Daisy. In the company of the couple, Tom and Daisy Buchanan confronts Nick and Gatsby. Gatsby tells Tom that his wife does not love her husband because she loves him. After this altercation Daisy and Gatsby leave in the car, Daisy drives and in her excitement runs over and kills a woman who ran against a car. This woman is Myrtle, Tom’s mistress. Husband of Wilson is overwhelmed, because on the top of the death of his wife he learns on the infidelity of Myrtle. He learns that the car ran that over his wife belongs to Gatsby. Wilson decides to take revenge and kill Gatsby in his house. Subsequently he shoot himself. Nick with dismal sees that nobody comes to Gatsby’s funeral. Daisy meanwhile leaves with her husband, who knew that she was a murderess.

Religion is visibly absent in the higher strata of the wealthy society. The upper echelons of the described society not only lack religion, they also lack moral standards. The materialism takes over the religion and wealth becomes the most important aim in the life of not only Gatsby, but also the narrator. Depraved lives of people who are cultivating their respect towards wealth and success however come to an abrupt end as if they were punished by the fate. Many allusions to religious hypocrisy are present in the text. Wilson himself believes that it is only the God that has the right to judge, while he does judge his wife. Religion is used in order to justify excuses such as the one when Tom refuses not to marry Myrtle. Despite frequent allusions, the fact is that religion is absent from lives of all characters in the story. The adoration of God is transformed into an adoration of status and wealth and leads to terrible consequences. The picture, which can be described as a man with huge glasses on his head, with one eye open, symbolizes the personality of Great Gatsby, who understands the religious nature of human life which can be symbolized by his love to Myrtle, yet shuts down his eye in order to achiever temporary and passing success, which however cannot buy his happiness.