Examples Of Consumerism In The Great Gatsby

In the Great Gatsby, the character Jay Gatsby shows off his abundant wealth through parties that he throws periodically, these are a result of excess consumerism. Through the character of Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how an excess consumerist approach to life can drive a person to rely on their material wealth to bring them happiness, this is done by showing off their affluence in often extreme ways to increase their name and status. The parties that Gatsby throws aren't meant to simply be a fun evening with friends, but have a deeper symbolic meaning. Due to his excess consumerist mindset, Gatsby’s parties are a statement of his wealth. They are a way in which he can show the life he has made for himself and get attention for it.

For Gatsby, the only attention he desires is Daisy's, which is why he is described to be quite absent during his parties. This is shown in the text when the narrator, Nick, states that “[nobody] could find him from the top of the steps, and he wasn't on the veranda” (3.49) I chose to visually depict the phenomenon of excess consumerism in the form of a drawing. I drew a silhouette of a man, in this case Jay Gatsby, who is surrounded by items that would be commonly found at a party in the 1920s. The champagne glasses, trumpets, necklaces, bowties revolve around the silhouette in a very circular, almost astronomical way as if they are orbiting

Through the final chapter of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents the idea that the disillusionment of attaining the american dream can lead to imminent failure. In the Novel, Gatsby goes from being “dirt poor” to being an incredibly wealthy millionaire. He is described to have been led “by an instinct towards his future glory” (6.106) This is demonstrating that Gatsby is pursuing Meritocracy, the idea that achieving a higher status comes from your actions and hard work, but in reality it is a birthright. The American dream stems from Meritocracy as it also creates disillusionment and misguidance. The idea the American dream is also present in the final chapter of the novel. The ‘old money,’ ‘successful,’ people who live in the wealthier part of new york are still alive and essentially unaffected by all that had happened. On the other hand, the less fortunate characters, such as Myrtle Wilson, Jay Gatsby and George Wilson, are killed. This is blatantly stating that the American dream is unattainable and unrealistic. I depicted this notion by showing the effects of the american dream visually. I decided to draw Gatsby with two guns to his head, one in which he himself holding, while the other held by another. In chapter 8, the character George Wilson is described to be