Capitalism In The Great Gatsby

Throughout history people have debated what economic system will most benefit humanity. However, this debate is still raging on and civilization cannot survive waiting for the results before it begins trade. Therefore, countries choose which system they think will best suite its population for the time being. The United States has chosen to base its economy on capitalism. Capitalism has worked well for the United States, allowing people to pursue what has become known as the American Dream. However, in their various works authors Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Mark Twain all recognized that capitalism has some downsides. These downsides of capitalism include false relationships, missed opportunities and dishonesty.

Causing people

In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby we see this theme played out through the character of Daisy. During the writing of Gatsby Fitzgerald weaves in aspects of his own life where he was on the receiving end of this characteristic of human nature. “With Gatsby, [F. Scott Fitzgerald] creates a character with a similar situation to his own; he is motivated to become wealthy after his love interest, Daisy, marries a very wealthy man rather than waiting for Gatsby to earn his income” (Wood, 2007, p. 5). Fitzgerald shows us the effects of the struggle for greater wealth has had on Daisy. She is unhappy with life because she is always wanting more love than her husband seems able to give. Conversely we see through Gatsby’s line “You see, I felt married to her...” (Berman, Osborne, Cater, & Luhrmann, 2013) and Nick’s further explication of the grandiosity that surrounded Gatsby’s life “It had all been for her. The house the parties, everything.” (Berman, Osborne, Cater, & Luhrmann, 2013) that Gatsby’s love was still burning strong and he would have been able to fulfill Daisy’s desires. If Daisy had waited for Gatsby instead of rushing to wed into monetary comfort, she would most likely have been more satisfied with life, having not have built her life on chasing money, but on the things and people she cared

In The Snows of Kilimanjaro Hemingway shows this deceitful spirit through the Character of Henry. Throughout the tale Henry reflects on how much he hates his wife Hellen, thinking about how the only reason he stays with her is for her money. Henry begins to call het derogatory names under his breath but his anger, intensified by the gangrene infection in his leg, boils over and he begins to tell her the things he has been thinking. He realizes the possibility of losing Helen’s wealth due to what he has said and then “He slipped into the familiar lie he made his bread and butter by” (Hemingway, 2013, p. 1025) saying things such as “Don't pay any attention, darling, to what I say… I've never loved any one else the way I love you” (Hemingway, 2013, p. 1025). Hemingway uses Henry’s seemingly loving words in a loveless marriage as a way to show dishonesty as a means to further material wealth. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald illustrates dishonesty as a means to greater wealth through his character Gatsby. Gatsby felt that in order to marry Daisy he needed to become wealthy. This led him to join a character by the name of Wolfsheim in a variety of illegal activities. The character Tom reveals one of Gatsby’s first dealings with Wolfsheim in this way: “[Gatsby] and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of 'drug stores' and sold bootlegged alcohol over the counter” (Berman, Osborne, Cater, & Luhrmann, 2013).