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Examples Of Opulence In The Great Gatsby

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The Allure of Opulence: An Analysis of the Wealth, Disregard, and Superficiality in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, an aura of status, wealth, and mystery surrounds Jay Gatsby’s opulent parties, enthralling residents of both West and East Egg. Nevertheless, the lavishness of these events unveils the hidden reality of the New York upper class; specifically, through the recurring motifs of vehicles and empty houses, Nick Carraway’s first experience at Gatsby’s house illustrates the carelessness of the rich and superficiality that underlines their lives. The ubiquitous, free-flowing alcohol, accompanied by the seemingly irrelevant and ignored car crash, demonstrates the arrogance of the rich, which Nick comes to recognize as he reflects upon Tom and Daisy’s complicity in …show more content…

Consequently, Nick ultimately finds Tom and Daisy stuck in a repetitive cycle of egoism and personal gain, stating that “they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.or whatever it was that kept them together” (179). Furthermore, the explicit use of “creatures” (179) degrades the victims to mimic images of lesser beings, acknowledging the foibles of the individuals harmed by the couple’s negligence, yet supremely recognizing the devastating impact of their indifference on others. Likewise, although outwardly full of pride and status, the materialistic impulses that drive their lives plague the society of the rich; Gatsby’s interactions with his guests and Nick’s eventual reflection of New York’s widespread greed display their underlying trail of emptiness. Gatsby himself is represented as charming and socially adept, with a “heightened sensitivity to the promises of life” (Fitzgerald 2), yet nevertheless faces loneliness throughout the heights of his vibrant

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