Behind the Dream
The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and was published in 1925. An extremely wealthy man, Jay Gatsby, and his long love for Daisy Buchanan, together portrays the American Dream within their lifestyles. He moves to the West Egg to find new riches and to make more money but also throws parties to flaunt his wealth. Moving to the West Egg, to attract everyone especially Daisy. While there are many themes, F. Scott Fitzgerald emphasized throughout the book, The American Dream is the most prevalent. The American dream is going from nobody to somebody as long as you work hard enough for it. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald attempts to show the American Dream through the romance Jay Gatsby shares with Daisy, and materialism
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F. Scott Fitzgerald uses materialism as it was used back in the Jazz age time period. Materialism revolved around relationships, jobs, and social statuses. Back in the society, having more money meant that you could basically buy your happiness. Which is what Jay Gatsby did. “Although Daisy has been married off to Tom Buchanan, Gatsby is determined to win her back by displaying his new wealth…Not only do Gatsby…impress women with their wealth, but they equate those women with money. To Gatsby, Daisy’s ‘voice is full of money’” (Roberts, 14). Throughout the whole novel Gatsby is going out of his way to impress Daisy, and his way of impressing her is by flaunting his wealth. He throws all these extravagant parties in hope to catch Daisy’s eye. The description of Gatsby’s parties highlights the 'extraordinary extent' of Gatsby’s wealth and materialism. In contrast to Tom and Daisy’s expensive but not overly gaudy mansion, and the small dinner party Nick attends there in everything about Gatsby’s new wealth is as best as he could be. Everyone who attends the parties is attracted by Gatsby’s money and …show more content…
Gatsby was stuck on Daisy which had him going out of his way to try and get Daisy away from her marriage that Gatsby doesn't think is good for her to be in. Gatsby and Daisy spent more and more time together, causing some feelings to start developing interjecting Daisy's marriage with Tom, showing the romantic bond taking place. None the less Gatsby started to interact with Daisy by inviting her over to his mansion. While doing this, Gatsby had shown Daisy all his nice colorful silk shirts that basically is the definition of being wealthy back then. He does this because, one, he knows once he Daisy sees what he is living in and what he owns, she will fall back in love with him because Daisy is all about money, but two, he is really trying to win back her
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.
Gatsby has everything that he could wish for, except of love. Gatsby tried everything he could to achieve Daisy, but failed to do so. Gatsby always thought that Daisy actually loved him and that he was very close to achieving her. One time Gatsby showed Daisy all of his luxuries in the house. Daisy was impressed by how rich and wealthy Gatsby has become as time passed. Daisy says “never seen so many shirts like these” (87). This quote shows how Daisy likes materialistic things. Gatsby worked hard on his dream unlike Tom. Tom Buchanan who is the husband of Daisy has no purpose and goal in his life except his affair with Myrtle. He never really loved Daisy. On the other hand when Gatsby showed all of his English shirts Daisy begins to cry and they plan their future plans of meeting each other. We can see how Daisy is attracted to Gatsby simply because of his wealth. She loves Gatsby but she loves his money more then she actually loves him. This goes to show how people’s mentality worked in the 1920’s. Daisy, Gatsby, and all other characters live a very superficial life. Gatsby wants to achieve Daisy by the means of fortune and how Daisy is attracted to Gatsby because of his wealth.
Although Gatsby wasn’t born rich and powerful, he puts on this façade of “Gatsby” to attract Daisy as a ploy to recreate their failed love. When Gatsby is first introduced in the beginning of the book, there’s a sort of mystery to him that makes people curious about
“He took out a pile of shorts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shorts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their fold as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher -- shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue” (Fitzgerald 92). Gatsby is flaunting of his wealth and luxurious materialistic items believing that is the only way to gain Daisy back and make it how it was five years ago. Gatsby starts as a poor farmer boy, but throughout the years he desires to be more and have more. To him, Daisy is someone he loves, but this love is based on materialistic objects and status, causing Gtabsy to focus and base his actions on money and wealth.
Though they seemed very close with each other, marriage wasn't in the picture. `Gatsby sprang to his feet, vivid with excitement. `"She [Daisy] never loved you [Tom], do you hear?" he cried. "She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me!"'(137). Even though love did seem important for Daisy, it didn't top the fact that Gatsby had no money to support the both of them. This is one way that materialism proves itself to be on top.
The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a book designed to represent the American Dream to help describe how it is not achievable and designed to set people up for failure. The main characters Gatsby & Daisy are there to help show how no matter what you have the American Dream is not able to be achieved. F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby uses the privileged,yet unhappy Daisy Buchanan and here manipulative ways to showcase that the ideals of the American Dream are unattainable
In his song “All Falls Down,” mildly talented musician Kanye West emotionally raps, “We buy our way out of jail, but we can’t buy freedom.” Criticizing how those that are wealthy are able to control the world around them with their money, able to use it to get even “out of jail,” West asserts that such a reliance on wealth is ultimately restricting, as it cannot buy intangible things such as “freedom.” In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the titular character, Jay Gatsby surrounds himself with wealth and extravagance in order to leave his previous life of dullness and banality and pursue an unrealistic and fragile love with Daisy. Though he is able to assume a new, affluent identity, he is ultimately unsuccessful in love, as his wealth disconnects him from reality, preventing him from realizing the impossibility of his goal. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, maintains a sort of obsession with Gatsby, becoming sucked into his extravagant and wealthy lifestyle. However, by doing so, he begins to see the world in a new yet almost fantastical light, where even he is unable to comprehend the consequences of his actions and mannerisms. Under this, Fitzgerald contends that wealth and materialism are crutches that ultimately serve to skew and misrepresent surrounding reality.
Daisy grew up spoiled due to the vast wealth she obtained from being ‘old money’, which caused her to become selfish and self-centred. Daisy had become selfish to the point that she has an expensive and materialistic desire or want. When Gatsby shows Daisy his mansion, she gazed in awe as “she admired […] the gardens, the sparkling odor of jonquils […] and the pale gold odor of kiss-me-at-the-gate.”(Fitzgerald,97) Daisy, all along, does not have feelings for Gatsby, but more for his money and expensive possessions, as she revealed her true self during Tom and Gatsby’s argument. Daisy is selfish even if money was not involved, as she does not feel grateful for Gatsby taking the blame for her killing Myrtle Wilson. For instance, when Nick tells Gatsby about Mrytle dying, Gatsby replies “’Yes,’ he said after the moment, ‘but of course I’ll say I was.’” (Fitzgerald, 154) When Daisy cried in Gatsby’s mansion, she was crying about her actions in killing Myrtle, meanwhile she does not care about Gatsby’s act of chivalry. Furthermore, Daisy takes advantage of Gatsby by taking Tom along to Gatsby’s party, when Daisy was personally invited to essentially go alone. When Gatsby saw Tom appearing to his party, Gastby with a light temper has a conversation with Tom. He says “I know your wife’, continued Gatsby, almost aggressively.”
The second character representation of money and materialism in the novel The Great Gatsby is shown through Daisy Buchanan. This is not only shown through the quote that began this essay in which she stated that she hoped her daughter will be beautiful fool, but also through the flashback into her wedding day with Tom. “‘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 quote represents the theme materialism and money because Daisy recognizes that she is miserable by saying that she hopes that her daughter is a beautiful fool because then she will be too ignorant to see that her life's in ruins (as Daisy’s is) and that all she will see is the money that can give her comfort. This quote also shows that Daisy will not leave Tom even after she
“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" is one of the most influential and famous phrases in the United State’s Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence encapsulates the original conception of the American Dream – the notion that every individual, regardless of their social upbringing, could have the opportunity to reach their full potential and live a comfortable lifestyle. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby takes place during the early 1920s--a time period that demonstrates the pursuit of happiness, opportunity, freedom, equality and finally the American Dream. Myrtle Wilson, a significant character in The Great Gatsby, tries to pursue
From the beginning of Nick Carraway’s narrative, Gatsby is introduced to the reader as an exception, as special, as someone who had “an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as [he had] never found in any other person and which it is not likely [he] shall ever find again” (2). This introduction to Gatsby sets the readers’ standards high for the man he or she has yet to meet and to know, but upon meeting Gatsby and delving into his world of dishonesty and longing, this introduction to Gatsby comes into question. Gatsby hopes to be wealthy, to win back Daisy, and to be someone important; that was his American Dream and he would do whatever he must to attain it. Essentially, everything he hoped for and worked for was for the sole purpose of impressing Daisy Buchanan, whom Gatsby was still convinced, was “the one”. Gatsby wants Nick to host the first meeting between himself and Daisy because “he wants her to see his house” so that she can see the great wealth he had acquired (79).
Gatsby is a “poor boy trying to remake himself” (McClurg). Gatsby comes from an impoverished family, so he leaves his family and starts looking for success. His first chance at being rich is when Dan Cody leaves him some wealth. Unfortunately, Cody’s wife refuses to give it him, so Gatsby makes it his goal to get rich without Cody’s help. Gatsby serves in the Great War then he joins the bootlegging business. The bootlegging business turns Gatsby to a really wealthy man. He becomes “mister nobody… who rise up out of the crowd” (McClurg). Gatsby tries to fit in with rich people by throwing extravagant parties, buying a personalized car, and lying about his background. Despite of all his generosity at his parties, people usually “came and went without having met Gatsby” (Fitzgerald 41). Additionally, his desire to be an upper class comes from his love for Daisy. For instance, Jordan Baker tells Nick that “Gatsby bought [his] house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 78). Gatsby wants to show his wealth to Daisy and prove to her that “he has been cured of poverty” (Pidgeon 180). Nevertheless, Daisy leaves Gatsby “standing… in the moonlight – watching over nothing” (Fitzgerald 145). Gatsby’s hard work is all for nothing. Readers can infer that Daisy picks Tom over Gatsby due the fact that he does “not belong to the right club [class]” (Pidgeon 178).
On one hand, the author wants the audience to view Gatsby’s life as extremely luxurious and fulfilling. We learn through Gatsby trying to prove himself to Daisy by showing off his mansion and wardrobe that he uses his wealth to measure success. He also uses his wealth to fill the void in his heart by throwing crazy parties frequently, but he is hardly present at the parties.
Gatsby’s love for Daisy propels his materialism, which leads to his ultimate downfall. Gatsby uses his words and specious actions to prove to Daisy that he is rich so she will love him by giving Daisy a tour of his house. Exploring Gatsby’s house is when Gatsby is careful to point out to Daisy his lavish possessions that are present in his many extravagant rooms: “We went upstairs, through period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers, through dressing-rooms and poolrooms, and bathrooms, with sunken baths” (91). After strolling through Gatsby’s house, Gatsby takes Daisy up to his closet and begins to boast about his expensive clothes so that Daisy realizes that Gatsby is rich, and, “He took out a pile of shirts, and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray” (92). Daisy’s desire and obsession with materialistic things is also evident because after she sees all of these shirts, she begins crying because of
She repeatedly exhibits her attraction to wealthy and high-class people. Near the end of the novel, Gatsby finally states that Daisy’s voice is “’full of money.’” At that moment, Nick suddenly realizes that “it was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle in it, the cymbals’ song of it… High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl...” Daisy comes from a home of higher-class people. She enjoys the pleasure and privileges that money brings her. Unlike Gatsby, she has always been and always will be an “insider.” All the men love her, and all the women want to be her. Although he exerts himself to earn her “love,” Gatsby is never truly accepted by her and her world. Had Gatsby been born in better circumstances, he would not be the outsider he is.