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Great Gatsby Materialism

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Do you have dreams and aspiration? Do you find it hard to achieve your dreams? People are born dreamers but people must learn to overcome struggles to achieve their dreams. In his novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), Fitzgerald F. Scott explores how his character’s desires are influenced by materialism and wealth which results in a conflict between reality and illusion. The author concentrates on the character’s flaws and optimism. In addition to the themes of restoring the past, social class, and the irresistible lure of the American Dream to show the unavoidable conflicts when turning dreams into reality. Fitzgerald portrays the theme of illusion versus reality through the personality and motives of the characters, and their relationships with …show more content…

Gatsby is in the final part of restoring his past and taking back Daisy Buchannan. His reason for wanting Daisy is revealed when he tells Nick Carraway, “her voice is full of money” (133). By marrying Daisy, he can complete his transformation from “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” (140) to “Mr. Somebody from Somewhere” because of her inherited wealth and status. The reader learns that Gatsby is a very optimistic and controlling person when he tells Nick, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (127). He lives in his own scripted world where there no consideration for the conflicts that may arise. Barbara Will states that “Gatsby, too, is both ‘really’ there and absent” when he is associated with the uncut books found in his library. He only begins to return to reality when he meets Pammy, the daughter of Daisy and Tom Buchannan. Nick describes Gatsby reaction to seeing their daughter as “I don’t think he had ever believed in its existence before” (131). Additionally, Gatsby has created his own illusion that Daisy still loves him the same way. Therefore, he has not considered the fact that she is not the same Daisy anymore. She has grown into a woman, and has become a wife and mother. Despite this fact, Gatsby continues to love only her. When Daisy does confess her love for him, it was not enough because she once loved Tom too. Gatsby …show more content…

Myrtle is enchanted by the American Dream and the prosperity that is said to come with it when a person attains this dream. She discovers that her husband, George Wilson had to borrow a suit for their wedding to hide his low social status. She is disappointed that she is unable to leave the Valley of Ashes after all these years of marriage to him. Myrtle has an affair with Tom Buchanan to increase her social status. She quickly attempts to adapt to her new lifestyle provided by Tom. As shown when Nick describes her apartment at the top floor as “a small living- room, a small dining-room, a small bedroom, and a bath […] with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it” (68). Myrtle desperately wants her public image to be viewed as sophisticated and wealthy, however her ego is too large and uncontrollable. She puts down her husband, George by saying “he wasn’t fit to lick [her] shoe” (). She also misinterprets her relationship with Tom. He can flaunt about her in public because he knows no one can touch his wealth and social position. Myrtle is just another mistress, that is disposable as shown when she yells out “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy” challenging her role and Tom responds by breaking her nose with his hand. Myrtle stays in this toxic relationship to live out the American Dream she desires momentously. She even comes to accept her role with Tom knowingly or

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