Effects Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are some characters that are preoccupied with wealth, money and materialism. Set in the early 1920’s, The Great Gatsby, is in the gilded age of history. Throughout the story, the narrator describes several instances where various characters are consumed by money, wealth and materialism. With these instances, Fitzgerald gives a glimpse of his belief of the effect of money and materialism on people and society. Therefore, in the novel The Great Gatsby, characters are preoccupied with wealth and materialism, there is a negative effect on the characters in the book, and Fitzgerald seems to believe money and materialism has a negative effect on people and society in general. Several characters show how they are obsessed with money and are very materialistic. One prime example of this is Myrtle Wilson, the mistress of Tom Buchanan. In the second chapter, when Myrtle is introduced, she immediately starts to go on a shopping spree with Tom’s money. Just walking around, she buys several magazines, new makeup, and waits for the newest and best-looking taxi before calling upon it. Finally, on a whim, she buys a puppy off the street, even though she has no way to feed it at the apartment Tom has bought her in the city.

Fitzgerald seems to believe that money and materialism make people more careless to the actions they do, for they can just retreat into their money and get away with anything. He also shows the class difference in the time setting of the book and the sort of uncaring nature of the residents of West and East Egg towards the people that work and live in the Valley of Ashes. Finally, Fitzgerald seems to believe that wealth, money and materialism make people and society more careless and uncaring towards their actions, and the people of a lower class than