Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

“‘I’m glad it’s a girl and I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool’”. This is a very vivid quote written by F. Scott Fitzgerald that helps identify one of the many themes in his book The Great Gatsby. This specific quote speaks of the topic I will be addressing which is money and materialism. This theme takes shape and form in many different ways and through different people throughout the book, and is shown through Fitzgerald’s characters Myrtle, Daisy, and Tom.

Fitzgerald presents the 1920s as a period of decadence and decay as a quest for the American Dream and the inherent belief in the Protestant Work Ethic were abraded by a new set of values. He suggests that the search for the American Dream can lead to emptiness, materialism, and loss of oneself. Fitzgerald illuminates Gatsby’s emptiness quite literally by using a green light across the “Egg” where Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s long-lost lover lives. Fitzgerald clearly highlights Gatsby’s emptiness when Fitzgerald states, “[Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way… I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away that might

" We are living in a material world." This famous line in one of Madonna's songs entitled "Material Girl" will never outgrow itself. Ever since the beginnings of monetary means, the main focus of living is getting more money and to be as successful as possible. This became a huge issue during the 1920's. In this era, people made money from the stock market, illegal bootlegging and so forth. With these people hitting the jackpot, this then created a new rank called `new money'. This rank, however, never overpowered `old money' the most wealthiest, well-known and respected class. The possession of material wealth however, can't bring true happiness. Love is an important factor in this equation; when you don't have love, it is hard to say

Although it is the repercussions of their deceptive fantasies that Gatsby and Lester fall victim to, it was their continued search for love that leads them to these. Love is the principal value in The Great Gatsby and is illustrated best by the contrast of Gatsby’s idealized romantic love for Daisy with Daisy’s “love” for wealth and status, a love which is common to the majority of their irresponsible society. F Scott Fitzgerald emphasizes Gatsby’s “romantic readiness” through this contrast as well as Gatsby’s fall from grace that results in him becoming lost in “the colossal vitality of his illusions” (pg. 92). Daisy characterizes the power of a love of money in the Great Gatsby and is used by Fitzgerald in condemning Gatsby’s hedonistic society as well as his own. However it is the absence of love –rather than the presence- that is most prominent in American

     America has been labeled "The land of opportunity," a place where it is possible to accomplish anything and everything. This state of mind is known as "The American Dream." The American Dream provides a sense of hope and faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of human wishes and desires. This dream, however, originates from a desire for spiritual and material improvement. Unfortunately, the acquisition of material has been tied together with happiness in America. Although "The American Dream" can be thought of as a positive motivation, it often causes people to strive for material perfection, rather than a spiritual one. This has

Although loving Daisy is obviously pointed out, Gatsby's desire for Daisy is shown in a symbolic way as well. When Nick first sees Gatsby, he is reaching out toward a light that at first Nick doesn't know where it is coming from. Later, the novel reveals that the light is at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby reaching out to Daisy's dock represents that Gatsby is reaching out for the love Daisy and Gatsby once had. Once Gatsby gets into contact with Daisy again, he realizes he can't see the green light anymore, so he can no longer reach out toward Daisy and his dream. Since she is back in his life, Gatsby can see that she misses him, but their relationship is different now. Gatsby had difficulty realizing that Daisy was slowly losing her love for him because, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 189). Nick sees how Gatsby stayed strong in his belief of the light, but Nick also can see how Daisy leans away from Gatsby’s love. When the green light disappears, Gatsby starts to understand that his dream is becoming inconceivable.

Materialism takes part in every person’s life, no matter what social class they belong to. The idea of materialism can be considered dishonest, there are many factors that go into a person being materialistic. This is based on materials they have or don’t have. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald outlines how the American dream is fading out as most Americans no longer consider and observe the requirements of the dream. Moreover, the theme of materialism significantly featured throughout the book explains why there is a loss of faith in the American Dream.

The theme of materialism and the need to have wealth that is present in The Great Gatsby is still relevant in today’s society. In the novel, Jay Gatsby has lots of material goods, but only has them to show his wealth to others, “Well, suppose we take a plunge in the swimming-pool? I haven’t made use of it all summer” (Fitzgerald 82). Gatsby has a swimming pool so he can fit in with the rich society, but does not even use it. Today in society, celebrities have multiple houses to show how wealthy they are, but they do not even go to those houses or if they do they go a few times a year, if even that much. Another example of materialism present in the novel is the shirts that Gatsby receives from a man in England, “While we admired he brought

The primary concern individuals have in our general public is we compare ourselves with other individuals to either make ourselves feel better or make ourselves feel awful about ourselves. In society people compare ourselves to other people according to how much money people make, the clothes people wear, and the cars people drive. We compare ourselves to other people which makes a jealous. Jealousy then makes people discriminate other people thinking they know that person just by looking at them. Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status. While discrimination judges a person about their social class itself. Discrimination is prejudice or knowing their backstory just be looking at them. Materialism is only being with or friends with a person for something in return. Throughout East Egg and West Egg, Fitzgerald implies in The Great Gatsby wealth creates social classes which results in discrimination against and reflects materialism in the Jazz Age.

            Jay Gatsby had all the trappings of wealth: a huge mansion, fancy clothes, and expensive cars. His lavish, decadent parties were designed to impress Daisy. But why did Gatsby feel he needed to flaunt his material wealth to win Daisy's love? Why was he so materialistic, and why are we? Are material possessions what we need to be happy? Part of the answer is that people "seek in material possessions fulfillment that is lacking in other areas, especially human relationships" (Schmookler, 18). The very fact that our market society feeds on economic growth like a fetish is a clue that excess consumption does not really satisfy. It is like an addiction. We can never have enough. A famous study done in the early 1970's by Richard Easterlin, entitled "Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot?" found that "members of wealthy societies do not seem happier than members of poor societies (119)." Perhaps they are more connected in their interpersonal relationships.

Through this movie, , Fitzgerald is the original writer who was the representative author in a lost generation that pointed to the American intellectual class and the youth who felt feeling of disappointment after world war one. The time when he lived, 1920, was overflowing with extreme materialism Love, passion or dream, all of these things was swept away from the materialism during this confusion period. is accused the processes that young people’s dreams were distorted by the sacrifices of material and distortion. In the movie, Gatsby is not only reckless character who wants to take back love, but also example of the reality of ‘American dream’ in materialism society. In this respect, it is also suited example for the Simmel’s philosophy.

However, these materialistic pleasures do not add to Gatsby’s greatness as much as his dream does. The ‘colossal vitality’ of his dream sets Gatsby apart from everybody else. The fact that he has total belief in his dream truly shows his greatness. His idealism is utterly admirable, ‘I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before – She’ll see.’ Gatsby, unlike all of the other characters in the novel is not materialistic. He has no concern for all of his belongings, because his wealth is all for love of Daisy, who clearly states that ‘rich girls don’t love poor boys.’ Gatsby cannot be blamed for the failure of his dream, his dream was only destined to crash because it was invested in a shallow person – Daisy. Gatsby’s dream is often described by Nick. He tells us that Gatsby had ‘thrown himself into it with a creative passion.’ His dream is immense to ‘romp like the mind of God’. These vivid descriptions from Nick provoke the feeling from the reader that Gatsby is great.

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is in constant pursuit of wealth, Daisy, and the American Dream. To him, these things are all the same. Gatsby says that Daisy’s voice is “full of money”(Fitzgerald 120). Part of the appeal of Daisy to Gatsby is that she represents everything that he wants in life. He initially pursues her because of her status, but he ends up falling in love with her. Gatsby’s desire for Daisy and the American Dream is also shown when Nick sees him reaching towards “a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the

Gatsby had attempted to fix his failures by using his money, not realizing that it was an impossibility. He wanted to “purchase” Daisy Buchanan's love, whom he had been unsuccessfully trying to impress in the past because of his lack of considerable income. But even though it appears that Gatsby’s “number of enchanted objects have been reduced by one” (84) with the possibility of winning Daisy over, he is screwed by the fact that Daisy has a greater attraction to a safe life of luxury. In an ironic way, Gatsby fails to see that Daisy’s obsession is a perfect mirror to his own love for such objects. Gatsby is unaware of the “youth and mystery that wealth and imprisons and preserves” (132). He does not want to sacrifice his wealth and accept the simplicity that breaks his heart. He was a man rich on earth, but poor at heart. Gatsby thus “Pays the price for living too long with a single

People always seem to be agreed that money can not buy happiness. I do not agree. I can accept that I'm materialistic. People who criticize this trait. I look at it from another angle. All about color, religion or nationality of the material is acceptable for them. Of course have different levels, but the bottom line is that we humans are interested in material things. Why do we study ? Us to study so we can get a good job. Why do we work ? So we can earn money, buy the things we want to buy. People who do not study or work there is still interest in something, but in a different way, for example they marry rich or they steal the money. In the book " Great Gatsby " materialistic behavior is very common. The main point of this book is proof of one of these types. So why did Daisy marry Tom in fact she loved Gatsby ? She hopes someone can pay the type of life she wanted. Gatsby knows that's why he's a hard worker, until he appears in the money in Daisy's life again " she never loved you, do you hear ? Because I was very poor, she tired of waiting, she will only marry you " Gatsby tells Tom. He knew that if he could not support her, she would like her real husband without hesitation. Gatsby , only the use of his wealth. He did not have a single friend, closest thing, he had a