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Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

665 Words3 Pages

Tanner Wood
Mrs. Harris
AP Language and Compression
May 5, 2023

Scott Fitzgerald's idea of the American Dream, as depicted in The Great Gatsby, is one that is both alluring and ultimately unattainable. Fitzgerald portrays the pursuit of wealth, success, and social status as the quintessential American Dream. However, he also reveals the darker side of this pursuit, highlighting the corruption, excess, and moral decay that often accompany it. Ultimately, Fitzgerald's portrayal of the American Dream is a critique of the shallow materialism and moral emptiness that can arise from a single-minded focus on success and status, and a warning about the dangers of losing sight of the true values that make life meaningful. In The Great …show more content…

He has become so obsessed with wealth and status that he has lost sight of what is truly important in life. As his neighbor, Nick Carraway, observes, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning-- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). Gatsby is so focused on his quest to be with Daisy that he is unable to see that it is an impossible dream. Daisy is married, and no amount of wealth or status can change …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby admonishes readers about the dangers of pursuing the American Dream at any cost. The character of Jay Gatsby embodies the American Dream, but his quest for it is fallible. Gatsby's obsession with wealth and status causes him to lose sight of what is truly important in life, and his quest for Daisy is an impossible dream that ultimately leads to his downfall. Furthermore, Gatsby's opulent lifestyle and illegal means of attaining wealth demonstrate the excesses of the wealthy and how they can corrupt the American Dream. Fitzgerald's novel serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and materialism, and it encourages readers to re-evaluate their own values and priorities in

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