The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the mentality of the ultra rich. Many of which have materialistic tendencies that have taken over their egos entirely. This materialism becomes the way they see life. To them anyone who doesn't have the advantages they possess is less of a human. Due to this, their life is controlled by their ego and causes them to be extremely selfish. Throughout The Great Gatsby, materialism takes over the decisions made by the wealthy, even if it means the death of someone else. The egos of the inherited rich are the strongest of all. All they have ever known is that they are above everyone else. They have no empathy, nor do they want to be associated with, the struggles of the common man, thus they want to be surrounded by people who are as fortunate as they are. As Nick, the narrator, writes “They had spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together.” Tom and Daisy, both of whom have inherited their fortune, move around frequently to wherever the rich …show more content…
After he had spent some time with his mentor, Dan Cody, Gatsby is introduced to Daisy. At the time they met, Gatsby had just enlisted in the army and was wearing his uniform; therefore, Daisy couldn't judge as to if Gatsby was among her class. If she had known Gatsby was poor at the time, she would have had nothing to do with him. The two of them had a connection that completely overwhelmed Gatsby that made him believe she was the only person that could make Gatsby complete. Once Gatsby returns from the war, he discovers Daisy has moved on and married a rich man. Shocked by this, Gatsby completely turns his life around making Daisy his one and only goal. He knows Daisy will only marry him if he is on the same financial level as her so he begins his journey up the class ladder via illegal
Andrew T. Crosland, an expert on the Jazz Age writings of author F.Scott Fitzgerald, wrote that Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby included over 200 references to cars (Crosland). This is not surprising as the automobile, like the flapper were enticing novelties at the time this book was written. The main characters in The Great Gatsby who, by the way, all drive cars are Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle and George Wilson. Attractive, yet enigmatic, Gatsby tries to win the love of an aristocratic woman, who rebuffs Gatsby for her upper class husband. This leads to Gatsby’s tragic murder after he is falsely accused of killing Myrtle with his Rolls Royce. The automobile, as
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him. Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth.
How does reading a story benefits an individual and improve his or her daily life? Extensive reading does not only serve as an entertainment purpose, but it is also beneficial to many readers because reading fiction can help enhance a person’s understanding of the type of society the reader lives in. For example, the famous novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is regarded as a brilliant work of literature, for it offers a detailed glimpse of the American life in the 1920s and comments on various social problems during that time period. The novel tells the story of a mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby who lives in the fictional town of West Egg, located on Long Island, during the summer of 1922. Gatsby wants to pursue his first
Gatsby is a dreamer, he dreams that one day he and Daisy will be able to be together once again. To achieve this dream Gatsby has made himself a rich man. He knows that in order to win Daisy back he must be wealthy and of high social stature. Gatsby becomes rich, has a beautiful mansion, nice things, things like shirts “They’re such beautiful shirts. . . it makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful clothes” (pg.98).Gatsby believes his dream will come true because of all the money and nice things he has. The way that Gatsby becomes rich is in a way the demise of his dream. Gatsby becomes wealthy by participating in organized crime, including distributing illegal alcohol and trading in stolen securities. Daisy eventually learns about this and it is one of the reasons she will never again be with Gatsby. The other reason is Daisy a...
Materialism has a negative influence on the characters in the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “The most terrible thing about materialism even more terrible than its proneness to violence, is its boredom, from which sex, alcohol, drugs, all devices for putting out the accusing light of reason and suppressing the unrealizable aspirations of love, offers a prospect of deliverance.” This quote, stated by Malcolm Muggeridge, says that people get bored with the things that they have when they get new things all of the time. When they get bored with these things, they turn to stuff like sex, alcohol, and drugs. In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle, Daisy, and Gatsby are greatly influenced by money, and material things. The negative influence that materialism has on these characters is shown throughout the entire novel.
Undoubtedly, Tom and Daisy Buchanan exceedingly demonstrate the wealthy class's lack of integrity. Their lives are filled with material comforts and luxuries and completely empty of true purpose. Daisy's lament is especially indicative of this:
Fitzgerald illustrates rampant materialism to demonstrate social stratification and the ultimate decline of values and nobleness surrounding the American Dream.
America has been labeled "The land of opportunity," a place where it is possible to accomplish anything and everything. This state of mind is known as "The American Dream." The American Dream provides a sense of hope and faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of human wishes and desires. This dream, however, originates from a desire for spiritual and material improvement. Unfortunately, the acquisition of material has been tied together with happiness in America. Although "The American Dream" can be thought of as a positive motivation, it often causes people to strive for material perfection, rather than a spiritual one. This has been a truth since the beginnings of America, such as the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, which is an example of this set in the 20’s. The characters in this novel are too fixed on material things, losing sight of what is really important.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has become one of my favorite books because it is full of life lessons, plot twists, and love. This novel clearly shows how people can take their life and loved ones for granted without thinking twice about what they are doing. Gatsby is living in the past, and in the end it destroys him, while other characters are living recklessly without thinking about the consequences. So many of the characters live in a material world and they are rarely happy because, in their eyes, they do not have enough material gain to satisfy their appetites for luxury or attention. I found myself constantly questioning the...
F. Scott Fitzgerald third book, “The Great Gatsby”, stands as the supreme achievement in his career. According to The New York Times, “The Great Gatsby” is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s. In the novel, the author described Daisy Buchanan as childish, materialistic, and charming. These characteristics describing Daisy is also description for the way women were seen during the 1920s.
The American Dream is something that is defined differently by those who are asked about it. It is different for everyone and changes with time. The American Dream is the Idea that every American citizen can have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity. As time passes the concept of what the American Dream is has been slowly molding into something else. Defined not by prosperity but Materialistic success or in another word, money.
He was as poor as could be and only gained any knowledge and hope of a different future from his parents due to a chance meeting with a rich and extravagant man. From him, Gatsby learned the ways of the wealthy and what it takes to be rich, however, he was never truly a member of the upper class. Just before Gatsby’s death, Nick comments that Gatsby is worth more than all of them put together, referring to the upper class. (154). However, Nick is only able to make this comment as Gatsby is not truly a part of the upper class that Daisy belongs to. Despite gaining the wealth, fame, and general appearance of the rich, at heart Gatsby is still the poor man that fell in love with Daisy five years prior. He lives in the past. Gatsby had no shot with Daisy as she needed someone who truly fit the constructs of the upper class, while Gatsby could never fulfill that requirement. Achieving Daisy would have been the epitome of the upper class. Lois Tyson writes in Critical Theory Today, “Possession of Daisy would give Gatsby what he really wants; a permanent sign that he belongs to her socioeconomic class, to the same bright, spotless, airy, carefree world of the very rich the Daisy embodies for him…” (71). If Gatsby had won Daisy’s love, it would have proved that he could assimilate with the wealthy. The failure of Gatsby to do so is a
The Roaring Twenties was a time of economic prosperity, new technology, and changing culture. America’s way of life shifted between 1890-1930 to focusing on money and having materialist mentalities as the consumer product industry was expanding. Seen in The Great Gatsby, the consequences of gaining, spending, and wanting money, demonstrated how the American Dream shifted away from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of wealth and success leading to a corrupt society. Today, the American Dream still consists of materialistic values. In order to revert back to the original dream of higher standards of health, comfort, and happiness, society needs to not be concerned about money, but instead positively focus on the attributes of others.
When Gatsby left for war he automatically started to build up his wealth and social position. “Gatsby in not educated and in an attempt to win Daisy, he grasps at the most superficial aspects of the American Dream, gaining wealth without acquiring knowledge, insight, or wisdom”(Naqel 118). Gatsby wanted to return to Daisy and be rich enough for her and live with her. Gatsby over fantasized the day he would come back and hoped Daisy would come running to him because he was wealthy. “The desire for realism leads Gatsby to seek, to marry Daisy Buchanan. Marriage to her would mean a marriage into the families of the elite”(Wyly 65). Daisy represented a gateway to the wealthy elite
In conclusion, The Great Gatsby reveals the carelessness and shallowness of the characters in the upper class. Society is totally corrupted and the character’s lives revolve around the money and extravagant lifestyles. All of the characters are surrounded with expensive and unnecessary itms, which in turn, dulls their dream of actual success. Scott F. Fitzgerald provides a powerful and everlasting message of a corrupt, materialistic society and the effects that it has on the idea of the American dream.