Examples Of Wealth In The Great Gatsby

Research has shown that the wealthiest eighty-five people in the world have more money than the poorest three point five billion people combined (Jackson par. 3). The life styles and viewpoints of these two classes of people differ by enormous proportions. One class will never have to worry about their finances, while the other may struggle to even buy food. These different ways of life can produce extremely different personalities for better or for worse. The unique personalities of the upper class are observed in the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where the narrator, Nick Carraway, moves into a village called West Egg just outside New York. Nick finds a particular interest in his neighbor, Mr. Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant

For example, at the end of the book, Nick provides a direct characterization of Tom and Daisy when he depicts them as “careless people” who “smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money [...] and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). Being selfish is defined as only caring about oneself. Tom and Daisy’s behavior expose their selfishness because they do what is in their best interest, which is to cover up all their mistakes with their money. However, they fail to see the damage this causes for other people because they are only worried about themselves. Tom and Daisy’s wealth give them power to avoid consequences for their actions, which promotes their behavior because they know there is no risk of punishment. The fact that Tom and Daisy don’t think of others and continue their careless behavior, indicates their selfishness. Also, Daisy particularly shows her selfishness by marrying Tom Buchanan for his money instead of waiting for Gatsby. Daisy was already born into a rich family in Louisville, so she never needed more money. However, after Gatsby goes off to war, Daisy marries Tom who gave her “a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars” (Fitzgerald 76). The fact that Daisy did not wait for Gatsby because of her enchantment with Tom’s money, while she had plenty of money herself, demonstrates the power money has to create greed and