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Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

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Christopher Ruzicka Mr. Emanuelson American Literature: B 22, February 2024 Gatsby, The Victim of the Materialism Coherent with the American Dream The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is told during the 1920s, set in rapidly developing New York, through the eyes of Nick, the main character and observer. Nick tells the story retrospective from the future focusing on his experiences with Jamez Gatz, a wealthy self made man, who eventually emerges as an inspiration for Nick and a figurehead mistaking financial worth for personal value. James Gatz, called Gatsby by the characters in the book, seems to be the embodiment of self-made success. Who, in his flaws, reveals a tragic truth: that men waste their entire lives chasing a dream that …show more content…

Before World War 1, the American Dream, known then as the “American Creed”, was a vision of collective moral character rather than the commonly believed availability of wealth despite differences. “It was originally a vision of “commonweal,” common well-being, well-being that is held in common and therefore mutually supported” (A Brief History of the American Dream Sarah Churchwell's Analysis). By the early 1900s, it had an increasing emphasis on material gain and consumption, which led to wealth inequality and decreased satisfaction. The American dream has a profound negative impact on people through the mindset and impulse it compels. We see the regret that Gatsby holds near the end of the book through his nostalgic reminiscing as well as the lack of fulfillment he was left with through his means of compensation. After Gatsby’s death, Nick looks back over his life and reaches the conclusion that the American Dream for Gatsby was a sense of eternal optimism for an ideal at the time, “it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again” (Fitzgerald

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