Wealth In The Great Gatsby

Wealth versus Waste Today, many people have a huge desire to become very wealthy. The thought have being rich enlightens people to find a way to earn their money for luxurious things. Many people, who are born into a family that are in the upper class, do not think that they need to take the time to work for their money. The work ethic is non-existent in these families because they are entitled to, what they think of as, their money. In The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions the fact that wealth is earned by a certain work ethic. The lack of financial security and work ethic is highlighted throughout this novel because of the characters. These characters in this novel struggle because they do not have the proper psychological

Although it takes hard work to become wealthy, the main characters in this novel do not appreciate that idea. They spend their lives growing up with money, that they do not think they need to work for it. Today’s issue of eagerly wishing to be wealthy and doing whatever it takes, is displayed through the characters Anthony Patch, Gloria Gilbert, and Adam Patch, and their actions throughout the novel. The issue of wanting to be wealthy is displayed through the actions of Anthony Patch. His childhood consisted of rich grandparents who he would soon inherit the money from. His life as a socialite led him to the lack of ability to find deeper connections within himself, as well as others. Since he always knew that he was wealthy and it would stay that way, Anthony Patch “was very clean, in appearance and in reality with that especial cleanness borrowed from beauty” (7). Anthony always has the luxury of staying fresh on the outside, but on the inside, he is the opposite. His lack of effort relates to today’s society because many people feel entitled to their money without putting in any work. The issue in this is that society paints this picture of a high social class, yet in reality, no one is actually

His life mainly consisted of acquiring money and fulfilling the American dream because he put in the work. Although he is wealthy, he has a bitter outlook because of his grandson, Anthony Patch. Although many people in today’s society use liquor to “become a practical necessity to their amusement,” there is also a lot of people like Adam in this world (213). Adam Patch takes away his grandson’s inheritance because of the overuse of alcohol and lack of work that is put in to make money and become wealthy. Even though Adam Patch actually works for his money, he can still relate to this issue in the world because there are others who have to live with the entitled socialites. Adam Patch is one of the few people who strives for their money rather than waiting for it to be passed down to him. Unlike Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert, Adam Patch is part of the minority group of people that is not entitled to think that he can get anything handed to him without any sort of hard work or struggle. Since this character in the novel is not like the others, he represents the people who are filled with “old money.” In relation to today, Adam Patch is a common wealthy man who is humble enough to be considered an average person in our society. Fitzgerald makes Anthony’s grandfather the responsible one who gives consequences to the socialites when sees fits because it the most