Examples Of Hedonism In The Great Gatsby

Human Nature and Society as portrayed in The Great Gatsby ~ By Nathan Sit John Green once said that “there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.” Green uses stars as a metaphor for human beings, whom he believes to be infinitely flawed. The “stars” in our lives are not only flawed, but shine brilliantly, symbolizing hopes and aspirations. Hedonism denotes “the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life.” (Merriam-Webster) F. Scott Fitzgerald, in his novel The Great Gatsby, utilizes figurative language, including allusions, symbolism, and satire to illustrate the vanity of hedonism in the Roaring Twenties, as well as the illusion of the American Dream, through conflicts between social classes in the

Wilson and Mrs. Wilson, reside in the Valley of Ashes, home of the literal “foul dust [that] floated in the wake of [Gatsby’s] dreams.” (2) The Valley of Ashes, besides hosting the dust that sullies Gatsby’s ability to chase Daisy, also contains the waste products of the high paced society on either side of the valley. Mr. Wilson’s livelihood depends on his business, which supports itself on the remains of the rich. Tom dangles a car in front of Wilson, promising to sell it, someday. Wilson needs the money from the car “to get away… to go West” alongside his wife. In spite of all that Mr. Wilson does to please his wife out of love, Mrs. Wilson has other ideas, calling him “[unfit] to lick my shoe.” (34) Like Daisy, Mrs. Wilson chooses to subjugate herself to the richest man possible, to acquire wealth. Apparently, the lower classes pines for wealth, believing that it will bring happiness. One example of such comes from Gatsby’s father, who comes to take excessive pride in Gatsby, using the wealth that Gatsby acquired as the core of his self-esteem. In fact, Mr. Gatz doesn’t appear to feel the least bit depressed by his child’s death, and instead flaunts Gatsby’s wealth, especially the mansion, in order to impress Nick. Like Mr. Gatsby as a boy, who maintained a rigorous schedule of study and work always having “some resolves like this or something” (173), Wilson also cannot get ahead despite ten years of hard labor for his business. Mrs.

“While church bells rang in the villages alongshore, the world… returned to Gatsby’s house”. (61) Church bells, usually associated with God and piety, are immediately followed with words such as “mistress, killed a man, and devil”, revealing the extent to which society has become desensitized to both church and sins. Nobody mentioned has time for God; there’s a party occurring over at Mr. Gatsby’s mansion! Immediately after one such party, a wheel of the car flies off due to reckless (and drunk) driving. The driver suggests that he can fix the issue by heading to the gas station, or driving in reverse, as he causes “no harm in trying”. (55) The people of the novel have lost touch will reality, and believe that they can attempt anything without consequences. “Incessant groaning of the horns” (54) from other impatient drivers further illustrate the fast paced and frustrated lifestyles Americans live. The lives of the drivers, like the wheels, spin in an endless cycle, but to no avail. The objects and sounds of the novel within a few pages sufficiently demonstrate the futility of the lives led by the delusional characters of The Great