Essay On Consumerism In The Great Gatsby

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We often get caught up with a value system which considers social status as being determined by prosperity and wealth. Also believed by many is the idea that buying, spending and accumulating material wealth will lead to greater happiness. In fact some could argue that this has been the truth since post-industrial society and continues to be present in modern day culture. Themes of this nature have been reflected in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, set in the affluent Long Island, New York in the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby. The characters of the novel are over obsessed with material things and fail to grasp what is essentially important. The Great Gatsby provides a social documentation of America set in an age of consumption, wealth and social stratification. It is the ultimate example of how we today present similar principles of greed and self gratification through our excessive consumerism. At present our society is based around materialistic beliefs. To some level, we all take part in the consumer culture by valuing material possessions. Most of us are constantly striving for more and there is no denying we want the best of the best; whether it is the newest iPhone or high-tech car. We have closets full of clothes that we don’t need. Large houses (our own Gatsby mansions) And lots of, well... things! And even when our demands are met, still there is the all-consuming desire for more things! Despite mounting credit card debt we still manage to find a need for more things! The result of this rampant consumption is in fact a miserable and unfulfilled life. According to researchers, materialistic people struggle to be grateful for what they have, may it be their family, a nice house or a descent job. They are never fully s... ... middle of paper ... ...aw behind the illusion of wealth and happiness. A rather depressing ending for most main characters was an intention by Fitzgerald, signifying that greed never constitutes happiness. Also to display how the materialistic attitude of the 1920’s lead many to fall into a downhill spiral of fervent obsession and unfilled expectations. The Beatles gave us some valuable advice that money can't buy love, and it wouldn’t hurt to remember that money can't buy happiness either. We can see that there is no direct association between wealth and happiness. After our fundamental needs are met our over-all well being and happiness is no longer affected by money. The prevailing issues in classic texts such as The Great Gatsby continue to endure. Of these consumption and materialism are a few of the timeless themes have lasted throughout society and continue to be valid today.

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