Religious Influences in The Great GatsbyDuring the 1920s, sometimes referred to as the Progressive Era, political and social changes surfaced in society with the aim of gradually improve the nation. However, the 1920s can accurately be described as the decade of selfishness. Society was materially oriented, and as a result, religious practices declined. This is clearly illustrated in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald's use of mortal characters as religious influences. There are three significant events in the novel that show the era's loss of spirituality, beginning with Gatsby's surveillance of Daisy the night of the hit-and-run. Gatsby spends the whole night watching for Daisy's sign, just as the knights risked their lives in pursuit of the Holy Grail. His desire for Daisy to come for his help and “live happily ever after” with him is misplaced because of the goal he hopes to achieve: Daisy. Then there is underlying symbolism presented shortly before Gatsby's death as he struggles with the swimming equipment. When offered help from his butler, Gatsby refuses and must “bear the cross” alone. Finally, Gatsby's murder is described as a process of purification, which has great religious significance. Shot in his chlorinated swimming pool, Gatsby overcomes his faults and is “cleansed” of his sins. The immoral efforts that were made against American pop culture in the 1920s are best summed up when Wilson looks into the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg at a vast wasteland. , "You can fool me, but you can't fool God!" His neighbor has to remind him, “It’s an advertisement” (Parker 33). Another symbolic aspect of the Valley of Ashes is that it is the home of the Wilsons, a place where the average person has some type of religious practice. Myrtle's murder is a glaring example of the uselessness of religion in 1920s society. Fitzgerald suggests that in the 20th-