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Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

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Materialism In society, people tend to consider material possessions as more important than moral and spiritual values. Will Smith addressed this when he stated “Too many people buy things they don't need, with money they don't have, to impress people the don't like”. Peoples obsessions with material possessions can warp their perception of love, happiness, and even their memories. In The Great Gatsby Daisy starts to sob at the sight of Gatsby's exotic imported shirts. “‘They’re such beautiful shirts’, she sobbed, her voice muffled in thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I've never seen such-such beautiful shirts before’” (Fitzgerald 93-94). Gatsby's shirts overwhelms Daisy with his enormous success and wealth and woos her. Further into the book, it is revealed the extreme measures that Gatsby has gone through to attract Daisy with his wealth. Gatsby climbs his way through the social classes to be on top so that “Daisy will love him” and in Gatsby’s mind , “the only way Daisy will love him is if he is [rich]” (Fitzgerald 137). Surprisingly, this ends up, in a way, working. Daisy ends up falling for him for his extravagant cars, large parties, and his newfound social and economic status. The books …show more content…

This discredits the idea that buying nice things in order to achieve some kind of social high ground is mentally healthy. Tatzel also states that “being overly concerned with money and putting material goals at the center of one’s life is detrimental to well-being”. This shows that possessions don't bring happiness, and reversely, the obsession to acquire them could be the the key factor to ones despondence. The article articulates that acquiring possessions or wealth is not the way to achieve happiness, in fact, it might actually be the

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The characters in the novel pretend that they have their lives all figured out, but through their successes their downfalls and emptiness can be seen, to prove that money cannot buy happiness. Jay Gatsby is the newest and upcoming star in New York during the 1920’s. Through his business and inheritance he is one of the richest men of his time. One may think that his abundance of wealth would lead him to be eternally happy, but he is the opposite. Gatsby longs for his love of Daisy, which is his personal American Dream.

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Set in the lavish era of the 1920’s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the wealthy, yet sinful life of Jay Gatsby. When describing his character, Fitzgerald touches upon the three deadly sins: greed, envy and gluttony. James Gatz, having grown up in a small town to farmers, wished to make more of himself. Disowning his parents at a young age, he went off in search for money, and a new identity. “And when the TUOLOMEE left for the West Indies and the Barbary Coast Gatsby left too” (Fitzgerald 107).

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Pursuing this further, Gatsby shows off his wealth to Daisy again by flaunting his expensive clothing. At this point in the story, Gatsby shows off his money in any way that he can. Daisy states to Gatsby, " 'It makes me sad because I 've never seen such – such beautiful shirts before '" (92; Ch 5). Gatsby 's shirts are part of his lifestyle, they were made to impress others. Daisy 's world is made up of wealth and flashy materials, and when she realizes that Gatsby is now connected to money, she breaks down.

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