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Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

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When our country was founded, our forefathers envisioned a land ripe with opportunity. They believed that everyone had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They saw an America filled with hope and believed that with freedom and independence citizens could pursue their own dreams and achieve success if they were willing to work towards it. The ideas that encompass “The American Dream” are ever-changing, evolving, and they differ from person to person. One of the underlying themes of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the idea of an “American Dream.” The novel, set in the 1920’s after WWI, reflects society’s shift towards a more materialistic lifestyle, and the character’s pursuits mirror these changes. To most of the characters in The Great Gatsby, “The American Dream” primarily embodies personal wealth and social status. Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s love interest, exemplifies the more materialistic version of “The American Dream” common with her “old money” social class. When Gatsby and Daisy are younger, they fall in love. Gatsby, however, is not from Daisy’s social class, and he ends up being deployed to Europe for WWI. Instead of waiting for Gatsby to return, Daisy …show more content…

Nick comes to New York seeking a more exciting lifestyle, and to gain financial success as a bondsman. Yet, as Nick’s character evolves, so does his dream. As Nick gets to know the wealthy socialites of East and West Egg, he realizes that they are not the type of people that he aspires to be like. Nick’s values and morals are extremely important to him unlike many of the other characters in The Great Gatsby. Nick does not want to become shallow and vapid like his acquaintances, therefore he adapts his dreams to seek a fuller life with authentic friends. Unlike the others, Nick Carraway realizes that money does not correlate with

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Like many Nick sets off to escape monotony in life and to make his fortune. What elevates him, is the way that he manages not to be taken in by and blinded by the glitzy lifestyle of the socialites. On the contrary, when he realizes what his “social superiors” are really like (shallow, hollow, uncaring, and self-serving), he is disgusted and he distances himself from them even though this means committing social suicide. “they’re a rotten crowd….you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

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The characters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Myrtle, again, show these aspects. They all chase after the American Dream. Things they thirst for about the American Dream are plenty of money, luxurious vehicles, extravagant homes, expensive clothing, and a picture perfect family (“Pursuit”). Throughout The Great Gatsby the characters strive for these aspects of the American Dream. Once they discern what the essence of desire means to them, the pursuit of their desires soon precedes.

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560 Words | 3 Pages

People like Gatsby look up to him as as something they want to become, but they don’t realize that they can’t become that. On the other hand, Gatsby represents the ‘getting there’ part of the American dream, but not the end result. He did indeed start from nothing, and climb the ladder of success, except he’s never quite able to reach the top. He is still not a part of the elite West Egg-ers, he still isn’t completely accepted into Tom and Daisy's society, and in the end he dies still believing that the American dream is waiting for him, just out of reach. Tom and Gatsby represent the impossibility of the American dream, each man showing that you can have half of it, but not

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1031 Words | 5 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, his depiction of the American Dream suggests that it is not for everyone. He builds this theory through the ideas that the American Dream has two parts, it tests if you are capable of achieving the American Dream, and the American Dream is not always what you dreamed of. Throughout the book, different characters attempt to pursue the American Dream. Many fail by giving up while others make it to the very end. However, in any circumstance you always have to do more in order to maintain the American Dream.

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418 Words | 2 Pages

Nick learned Gatsby’s secret of how he got all his money: gambling. Nick and Gatsby became very close friends, often participating in activities together. Nick believes that Gatsby’s personality is comprised of more than money. He sees the good in Gatsby, and he also observes that Gatsby struggles just like other people. Gatsby strives to impress Daisy, and he struggles to win her over.

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842 Words | 4 Pages

Despite his poor upbringing Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, a young woman from an affluent background. Her parents do not approve of their relationship, but Gatsby still promises to remain faithful to her when he leaves to fight in the war. While he is away, Daisy meets another man named Tom Buchanan whom she later marries. Although Daisy is married to another man, Mr. Gatsby refrains from entering into a relationship with any other women, and always keeps Daisy in his heart. Tom has many mistresses while he is married to Daisy, which further complicates the situation.

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1299 Words | 6 Pages

Nick comes to one of Gatsby’s parties and meets him. After that night, Gatsby looks at Nick as a friend and confidant. Nick had some trouble trusting Gatsby in the beginning of the story. However, Nick observes the people around him and finds that the only person he truly trusts, by the end of the story, is Gatsby. Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby,

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870 Words | 4 Pages

If we take a non-fiction book that was written in 1922, we might ask ourselves whether the book is relevant in this day and age. One such book was written by the author F. Scott Fitzgerald and it goes by; “The Great Gatsby”. The contents of the novel actually hold pretty valuable and relatable materials regarding materialism in today’s society. It also touches on the idea that people are not what they seem to be even if they say they are. This in and of itself is highly relevant because human behavior stays fairly comprehensible throughout history.

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439 Words | 2 Pages

The superficial and excitable attitude of the 1920’s didn’t just appear. Coming out of WW1 marked the end of the single minded focus on surviving and transitioned to pleasure the entertainment industry. Increase in wealth from the war, stabilized the economy and made it possible for the general attitude to change. Along creation with prohibition speakeasies and bootleggers rose in popularity because of their opportunities for excitement. Yet, such an extravagant and vapid lifestyle founded on materialism was unsustainable.

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1136 Words | 5 Pages

The American Dream is a subjective ideal with different interpretations. Commonly, the main idea is the American dream is a set of goals consisting of liberty, wealth, equality, and freedom to symbolize the pursuit of opportunity and prosperity, regardless of race, ethnicity, or class. The American Dream has been illustrated in many ways, but two beloved novels, The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men, tend to be mentioned as they are iconic examples of the dream. Though these novels are related to one another as they share similar concepts, the question still beckons; how is the American dream portrayed in these stories? In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, these authors both depict the difficulty

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1183 Words | 5 Pages

Every American strives for greatness because of the opportunity this country provides. Individuals chase love, wealth, and happiness, known as the American Dream, but find themselves running on an endless track to nowhere. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, sheds light on the impracticality of the dream. A dream that looks more like a nightmare. Nevertheless, many individuals pursue the dream realizing too late the fabricated reality that one cannot achieve love, wealth, and happiness.

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1558 Words | 7 Pages

The American dream states that any individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, and/or religion simply by working hard. The 1920’s were a time of corruption and demise of moral values in society. The first World War had passed, and people were reveling in the materialism that came at the end of it, such as advanced technology and innovative inventions. The novel The Great Gatsby exploits the theme of the American Dream as it takes place in a corrupt period in history. Although the American Dream seemed more attainable than ever in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby demonstrates how materialism and the demise of moral values in society leads to the corruption and impossibility of the American Dream.

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1133 Words | 5 Pages

Fitzgerald focused on the shift in the American Dream - from being the idea of self-fulfillment, dignity and comfort that is achieved through hard work, to being equated with the pursuit of wealth and power, and identifying happiness with having money. The novel depicts the rise and fall of the concept and describes the causes of its decay. The downfall of the American Dream is most accurately shown through the main protagonist of the story – Jay Gatsby. To reiterate, the American Dream is the concept that anyone can achieve a better life and become self-fulfilled, if they put enough effort to it and make the most of their abilities.

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708 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, social class is a key theme, as seen by every character having their own distinct class. Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and even Nick are old money, Gatsby is new money, and the Wilson 's are no money. In short, the more money you have, the better off you will be. In the epigraph of the novel, there is a poem by Thomas Parke D 'Invilliers, who is a fictional character created by Fitzgerald himself. This poem is about using materialism to win over the affection of someone, which is exactly what Gatsby tries to do.

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1633 Words | 7 Pages

Fitzgerald expressed his simultaneous judgement and curiosity of the upper class through Nick. As an outsider like Carraway, who deep down wanted to pursue writing, but had to work other jobs to pay the bills, Fitzgerald understood the compromise it took to be among the aristocrats of society (Biography.com Editors 1). Both men came from average financial backgrounds away from the industry of the city and were generally a little clueless about the inner workings of the upper echelon of New York. At first, Fitzgerald, much like Nick, saw the world of money as opportunity, specifically for publishing Fitzgerald’s novels. It wasn’t until both Carraway and Fitzgerald were taken aback by the lack of sincerity and increase of secrecy in the world of the bourgeois did they realize that capitalism and its social expectations were flawed.

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