Tom and Daisy were displayed as a vision of wealth in The Great Gatsby. Daisy grew up in an affluent family and wanted for nothing. She never knew of a different lifestyle. Daisy knew of large, fancy homes and enjoyed life’s finer pleasures. Daisy’s “rich life and her rich home is another factor that makes her desirable to a young man without a past” (Tate 94).
The Great Gatsby is set in the 1920’s when women were generally seen as successful when they found wealthy husbands. After finding this wealth, women more often than not would fade into the background of their husband’s influence, instead of discovering their own happiness. Daisy fits this description perfectly. She is a young woman who married Tom Buchanan because of the “unquestionable practicality that was close at hand” (Fitzgerald 132). Due to Tom being a wealthy Yale alumni and Daisy “feeling the pressure of the world outside,” instead of waiting for her true love, Gatsby, to return from war, she married Tom to secure her place in the world of elites (132).
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” Daisy Buchanan struggles to free herself from the power of both Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, whom both use their wealth and high standings as a way to dictate power over and impress others. Fitzgerald purposely develops Daisy as selfish and “money hungry” character when she chooses Tom, a rich man, over Gatsby, a poor man (who she was in love with), which establishes her desire for power that she never achieves.
Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy is portrayed as a victim of infidelity and a confused girl who married the wrong man. However, her character plays a part in the selfishness of the American Dream as well. Fitzgerald subtly displays the materialistic side of Daisy Buchanan, as well as her clear disregard for those who do so much for her. Despite her inherited wealth, Daisy seems to still be drawn toward having more--and that is what the American Dream is all about. When she goes over to Gatsby’s house she is amazed by the size and luxury of it, and when she is bombarded with Gatsby’s colorful shirts she begins to cry.
Daisy’s character conveys an obsession with materialistic things and money, which ultimately lead to her destruction. When Gatsby had to leave for the war, Daisy chose Tom over him instead of waiting for Gatsby to return. Daisy valued wealth over the true, genuine love that Gatsby had for her. From a very young age, Daisy possessed many materialistic values and she will continue to live a privileged life. Gatsby states, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (Fitzgerald, 130).
At first, Daisy and Gatsby’s affair is displayed as two lovers who have waited years to reconnect with one another. Nevertheless, it is revealed that their relationship is purely based on what the other represents, not their true qualities. For Gatsby, Daisy represents “green light that signals him into the heart of his ultimate vision” (Bewley), his vision being notoriety and success. It is made obvious from the beginning that the “old money” class of East Egg look down upon the likes of Gatsby due to his unsavory methods of acquiring wealth. They also generally look down upon the "new money” class because of their flashiness and almost adolescent nature of spending their freshly earned dollars.
The Tarnished American Dream The last statement from The Great Gatsby novel stated by Nick shows how Gatsby thought that is how life was supposed to be. Gatsby believed in trying to relive the past with much excitement especially from Daisy Buchanan. People back then, were trying to relive their glorious past. Fitzgerald shows how the American Dream had become materialistic.
Gatsby's uncontrollable greed manifests in his materialistic pursuits. Born into poverty, he becomes determined to accumulate wealth and possessions as a means of changing who he is and ultimately winning the love of Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby's pretentious parties, lavishly furnished mansion, are examples of his desire to showcase his wealth and social status. However, Gatsby's accumulation of material possessions goes beyond just social ambition; it becomes an obsession for him to maintain.
The true meaning behind Gatsby’s lust for Daisy is not about who she truly is or her real character; rather, Fitzgerald leans into the concept of Gatsby’s illustrious dream that could never be achieved. This ties into how countless aspiring citizens who came to America during the 1920s chased after an impossible “American dream” that could never be attained. Daisy Buchanan’s character also dives into the idea of superficiality, much like many other characters, which is particularly evident in her decisions and values. The attractiveness of Daisy is inherently due to her lust for intense wealth, an observation made by Gatsby when he notes, “Her voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald 115). This statement clearly shows how her allure is deeply rooted in her superficial ways, making her appeal more materialistic rather than sincere.
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.
In the instance of the Great Gatsby, certain characters display a personality geared towards materialistic wants. The rather fake forms of objects these characters pursue include money and articles of possessions that hold rich values. These characters would much rather grasp onto these rather than forms of happiness that are more psychologically independent, such as true love and care. Delving deeper shows the heartlessness the two certain characters show in a physical manner, these being Tom Buchanan, a rich and arrogant man who tends to have a stiff manner of talking, and refuses to downplay his words against others, including his wife, Daisy Buchanan, who has a rather shallow personality and is portrayed as being easy to manipulate, for because of which, stays with Tom, despite an uneasy relationship deep in her heart. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (Fitzgerald 179).
In F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, as Jay Gatsby delves into his pursuit of wealth and need for materialism, his hopes and aspirations become shattered in a world of unobtainable and unreachable possibilities. While Jay Gatsby confidently believes that material excess will ultimately bring about love, admiration, and prosperity, the audience understands that the possession of material objects does not always lead to the possession of these intangible virtues. The richest and happiest man is the one who sets the joy and happiness of others in the center of his wealth. As Jay Gatsby dedicates himself to winning over Daisy Buchanan and falls in love with her aura of luxury, Gatsby becomes overwhelmed with an unremitting desire for money and pleasure that eventually triggers his downfall. He has one purpose in life: to attract Daisy with his ornate house on West Egg and with his overflowing sum of money.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, characters have very distinct identities that develop throughout the book and many inferences are needed to understand the characters. One example of this is Daisy Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan cares greatly about wealth and is a very careless person. Throughout the novel, many of her decisions are due to her greed and carelessness, even though those decisions may not be the best decisions for her. Daisy displays her greed throughout the novel; she marries Tom Buchanan because of his wealth.
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.
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.
