Examples Of Greed In The Great Gatsby

In the competitive, ruthless, and unforgiving world of money and publicity, several individuals strive to make their mark on society. Factors such as greed, desire, and a hunger for attention often reveal one’s dark side when going about attaining a goal or a dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby, a charismatic and successful individual from humble origins, spends a majority of his life striving to become part of the American aristocracy, or old money. Although one has to be born into old money, Gatsby lies to convince Daisy Buchanan, a member of the old money society, and Nick Carraway, the non-judgemental main character, that he comes from old money. Similarly, in Nick Paumgarten’s article from the New Yorker, The Most

The efforts of Gatsby and Baehrel to hide their true selves from everybody else seem infallible; however, they both fail to convince others completely, causing some characters to question the truth in their words. Although Gatsby’s efforts to portray himself as old money convince Nick, Daisy identifies something wrong in Gatsby’s whole presentation of himself. When Gatsby “beg[ins] throwing...shirts of sheer linen and thick silk” and others of bright flashy colors down toward Daisy, she “sob[s]” claiming she had “‘never seen such...beautiful shirts before”(Fitzgerald 92). Coming from old money, where all possessions are inherited, old, and classical, Daisy easily identifies the differences between Gatsby and herself and begins sobbing at her realization. The flashy, gaudy colors of Gatsby’s clothes reveal his true social class, poking holes in his facade and causing it to collapse like a house of cards. Gatsby’s clothing also reveals his status of new money to Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s wife. When Jordan Baker, Daisy’s friend, informs Tom of Gatsby being an Oxford man, Tom scoffs “‘Like hell he is, [h]e wears a pink suit’,”(Fitzgerald 122) furthering Gatsby’s clothing as the mark of his true