Role Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald created a masterpiece with a multitude of themes that are prevalent throughout the entirety of The Great Gatsby. The one that shines brighter than the rest is that money and materialism leads to Corruption. Fitzgerald uses many symbols to connect this major theme with the overall tone and characters of the story. Without money the story wouldn’t have started back when Gatsby met Daisy. Without materialism Gatsby wouldn’t have been able to throw the parties to attract Daisy. This major theme is prevalent throughout every chapter of the book.

Aside from Gatsby, Fitzgerald also alludes to cracks in the American dream with a rich use of symbolism throughout the book. Nowhere is it more prevalent than in the desolate Valley of Ashes--a dusty wasteland located in between Manhattan and the two Eggs. Overlooking the valley is the iconic billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg. According to Professor Bryant Mangum of the Virginia Commonwealth University, “The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg ‘brood on over the solemn dumping ground,’ which is the wasteland that America has become, and their empty gaze is there at crucial moments such as that of Tom's visit to [Myrtle Wilson] before and after her death, a reminder that God has been replaced by fading signs of American materialism” (Mangum, “THE GREAT GATSBY”).

Money, wealth and prestige were constantly on the minds of people during the Roaring Twenties. Not everyone during this time was able to achieve the wealth and status that they aspired to, including Jay Gatsby. Many people of the upper class inherited their wealth, and oftentimes lived on the rich peninsula of East Egg. On the other hand, those who had to make their own way in the world lived on the less wealthy peninsula of West Egg. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to portray the corrupt mindset of the 1920’s. Starting off as a poor boy, Gatsby aspires to become as wealthy as the aristocracy, and becomes obsessed with this aspiration; his American Dream. Through illicit means, Jay Gatsby makes his way up the social ladder, but stalls prior to reaching the peak. Gatsby, although known for his extravagant parties and expensive belongings, lives in West Egg, showing that he is not part of the aristocracy. Throughout The Great Gatsby, a classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby attempts to capture the American Dream, but his corrupt view of it only leads him to become materialistic, ending his life with few personal relationships, thus proving that during the Roaring Twenties people were more concerned with superfluous objects, as opposed to their own well being.

In the beginning of the rising action, Fitzgerald intermingles the motifs of materialism and illusions. Nick Carraway first get’s introduced to the wealthy people of West Egg by going to visit his cousin Daisy, and her husband Tom Buchanan for dinner. Everything about the house was lavish and elaborate, and everything was going well until dinner. Tom’s mistress started calling during supper and it was challenging “to put this fifth guest’s shrill metallic urgency out of mind.” Nick quickly realizes when dinner continues on like normal, that Tom and Daisy’s marriage is built on lies. Nick has the pleasure of meeting this mistress a few days later. On the way to the apartment, Myrtle decides she wants what Tom has, and proceeds to ask “I [Myrtle]

" 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

The next theme in the novel is The American Dream. West Egg is where the new rich live, those who have made a lot of money in the years after the war ended. These people are portrayed as being gaudy and showy. It is as if they do not know what to do with their newly earned riches and therefore try to copy what they think are the possessions and manners of the rich. The people become materialistic, which was the result of pursuing the American Dream. East Egg is filled with those who have always had money. While they do look like they have class and manners this does not make them good people. Tom and Daisy both have affairs and Daisy commits murder and lets someone else take the blame, and many of the East Eggers who come to Gatsby's parties are having affairs, and bring their mistresses. The result of the American Dream is negative. In the novel nick says “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money of their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” (Fitzgerald 179) Showing that they are careless because of their wealth and

“Money Changes Everything” by Cyndi Lauper illustrates the way people center their desires on material things such as money. The speaker in the song leaves the poor man, solely because he does not have money, for the affluent one: “I’m leaving you tonight…There was one thing we weren’t really thinking of and that’s money” (Lauper 1, 6-7). Like Cyndi Lauper, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates the way people often center their desires on material things such as money in The Great Gatsby. Daisy falls in love with Gatsby, who is a poor man at the time, and when Gatsby leaves for the war, Daisy marries Tom Buchanan, who is a rich man, because he is “old money,” meaning he will always have the money and status to support Daisy. When Gatsby returns

Geology shows that over time, environments will change due to the naturally occurring event of erosion, which wears it down through wind, sand, water or other elements. Fitzgerald’s famous modernist piece, The Great Gatsby, has characters’ that show similar corrosion to their integrity, as they are so enamoured by this materialistic idea of doing it all for show. He utilizes symbolism to pursue this idea of time passing, which will eventually make fissions in their outer façades. From Gatsby knocking over Nick’s clock, to the hearse passing them on a ride, to the valley of ashes illustrating the inherent trashiness of the nouveau riche, they all foretell of a greater, more powerful force than money: time.

Love is seen by many as an essential aspect of life. It is considered a form of perfection and beauty that everyone strives to achieve. Honesty, trust, and devotion are all attributes that one may possess when in love, however, this is not always the case. America in the 1920's was a country where moral values were decaying. Every American had one objective to achieve: success. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fernandez presents the lifestyle of individuals during this time period and showcases the extent that one may go through to achieve a goal. This involves the manipulation of love and the sacrifice of honesty for personal benefits. Many characters depicts these behaviors which alters the perception of love and marriage within the society. The Great Gatsby portrays many prominent themes associating with love through the choices and attitudes of Daisy, Myrtle and Jordan; ultimately, all of the relationships in the novel end in failure because they are not based on love, but on materialism.

     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

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 1920s, or the “Roaring Twenties” as it is often referred to, is often portrayed as a time of celebration, new culture, and changing values and behavior. Many American people were wealthy and used their money lavishly, spending it on trendy whims and entertainment. This post-WWI time period was also richly filled with insightful works of literature, and it is known as one of the greatest literary eras in history. Some writers grew such a distaste for the American culture and the materialism within it that they settled in places in Europe, mostly Paris. These writers became known as the “Lost Generation.” F. Scott Fitzgerald was a Lost Generation writer and the author of the renowned novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald used symbolism in

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.

During the 1920’s, the exploration of the American Dream became a prominent concept in the United States. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, focuses on the path of the American Dream in New York City, particularly two fictional regions of Long Island, West and East Egg. Certain characters journey to their ultimate perception of the American Dream is affected because of the corruptive materialistic views and accumulation of wealth in society. The corruption in the society, because of the materialistic views and the constant desire for wealth causes certain characters, such as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan to be hurt in their journey towards their view on the American Dream.

Reading literary works from the modernist time period in our postmodern age allows us to see the world through a different lens. While reading these literary works we are able to see what it was like to live during this time period; for example, the effects of World War I to characters like Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley (Brett) in The Sun Also Rises. Jake is known to be “sick” (Hemingway 34), which is why his lack of masculinity causes him to have trouble with coming to terms with his love for Brett. Brett loves Jake, but she knows that he will never be able to satisfy her because she “turns to jelly when he touches her” (Hemingway 34). They both are ignoring how the war affects them as individuals. Jake even stated, “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another” (Hemingway 19), but yet that's exactly how they are living. Neither one of them is willing to face their true problems they either ignore it or find some other means of coping.