Greed In The Great Gatsby

Eryn Kelly
English 101
Argument Essay
April 5, 2016
Greed
Ptah-hotep’s maxims are considered the first set of manners for men to pass down to their sons. Some of the maxims discuss how to treat the great and how to pick a leader, while others talk about behavior and how to be kind to one another. According to the oxford dictionary greed is defined as an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power or food. Greed can be portrayed though some literacy including The Pearl by John Steinbeck and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both authors convey the idea of greed and how it affects people and the people surrounding them.
Ptah-hotep wrote the rules of behavior, known as ‘The maxims of Ptah-hotep’, that should be

He is driven by greed, so much so that he could even see dreams form in the pearl. Kino is the head of a modest household and until he finds the pearl he lives a satisfied life with all he needs for his family to be happy. As soon as Kino finds the pearl he starts to want possessions he never wanted before. He dreams of education for Coyotito, marrying Juana in a Catholic church, purchasing new clothing for his family, and getting a harpoon and a rifle for himself. “It was the rifle that broke down the barriers . . . for it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more” (Steinbeck 32). Located within a small poverty-stricken community, a pearl diver named Kino finds “the Pearl of the World” and becomes suddenly rich, he begins to want items that he thought were impossible before. As Kino thinks more and more of what the pearl can do for him, he starts to think that it will raise his social status as well. This is only the beginning of Kino’s greediness, for the more he gets, the more he will want, and this begins to dehumanize him. Kino focuses on the wealth of the pearl and causes him to change his values about life. In the beginning, Kino is only focused on his family, once Kino finds the pearl he becomes more focused on the pearl, rather than his family. Kino cares a lot more about losing the pearl rather than something bad happening to his loved

She takes no responsibility for her actions and lets others take the blame for her mistakes. Daisy even goes back to Tom, who cheated on her and treats her like garbage. She wants to keep her social status as being part of a bunch of wealthy citizens. Daisy 's greed can best be seen in her choice of a husband, and in the environments leading up to that choice. When she and Gatsby were stationed in Europe during the war, she fell in love with him because he made up a lie about the massive wealth of his family and all the good things he could give to her. It broke her heart when they had to leave each other, not because she loved him, but because she was greedy and loved what he had to offer. This is the main reason why she married Tom later, she couldn 't have the money Gatsby offered her so she took the money Tom offered her instead. Her desire to stay greedy even extends to breaking the law when necessary. When Daisy drives home with Gatsby, after she learns of Tom 's affair with Myrtle, she hits Myrtle and kills her. Instead of stopping or trying to help, she drives off. This shows how much the greed has taken over her own life. She is willing to kill someone just because of the wealth a person has. Later, when asked about the accident, she lets Gatsby take the blame. The end result of this, of course, is Gatsby 's death at the hands of George