Examples Of Power In The Great Gatsby

1920’s America was, perhaps, the most influential and prosperous time period that the United States has ever experienced. Not only was Wall Street climbing up higher and higher, but egos grew larger, lifestyles became more peculiar and less traditional, and physical possessions became an intrinsic part of life. It is in the midst of the chaotic and flashy 20’s that Jay Gatsby, the main character of The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, finds himself. An affluent and cultured man, Gatsby has built up a dream around him full of physical objects and goals. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to show the corruptness that money and power can bring upon not just an individual, but an entire class of society. The divide between the upper class of “Old Money” and

Gatsby takes note of Daisy’s love for material objects; the extravagant and wild parties he throws are designed to attract and impress her. Additionally, He takes Daisy on a tour of his mansion in order to make her desire him. While Gatsby causes a cascade of shirts to fall upon Daisy, she breaks down and cries, claiming it's because she has “never seen such—such beautiful shirts before” (Fitzgerald 99). In reality, Daisy breaks down because she is overwhelmed by how much wealth Gatsby has. Daisy will ultimately enter into a relationship with the person who has the most wealth, therefore, Gatsby shows off his collection of clothes to attract her. Fitzgerald continues to illustrate Daisy’s dependence and love for money when he writes “Her voice is full of money...It was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it” (Fitzgerald 128). Daisy has been raised up in money her whole life; so much so that she speaks like money and she looks like money. By saying that her voice sounds like money, Fitzgerald drives home the fact that Gatsby and Daisy are both reliant on money, and both are attracted to each other because of their