Examples Of Wealth In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, depicts the life of luxury that Fitzgerald himself wanted to experience. It shows wondrous parties and the life and affairs of a man living in a well-off area, such as the East and West Eggs in New York. There are parties, large mansions, and anything that one would associate with the wealthy. However in the novel, Fitzgerald highlights the errors of the wealthy, and what it cannot give an individual even with the shining lights and the flashiness that it can provide. He shows how the wealthy see people that are less well-off than them, the flaw in relying on one’s money, and makes a statement within the whole book while disguising it well within the luxuries within the pages. The book begins with Nick Carraway explaining that his father had told him in his childhood that people have …show more content…

A common phrase is ‘money can’t buy happiness’ and that is seen in The Great Gatsby in the form of money being only a temporary solution. For example, Daisy Buchanan has everything; a rich, handsome husband, mass material wealth, and a nice house yet she does not seem to be fully happy. That’s because the happiness that money provides is only a temporary solution, even shiny new metal objects rust. Money also can not buy loyalty, or ensure that loyalty will be kept. Part of what is ailing Daisy is that her husband has run off with a mistress and that plagues what provides her happiness in her empty home. Another example would be Jay Gatsby and his parties. Oftentimes, when Nick Carraway encounters Gatsby, he is seen alone; standing on his balcony with the green light and looking out longingly, remaining alone while hosting his parties, no one moving to dance with him. He is often alone, even with his mansion full of people. It goes to show that money can buy a nice house, a good band, and plenty of catered food but it can’t buy company for a lonely