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Material Things In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

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According to Saint Lucian poet Derek Walcott, “The discontent that lies in the human condition is not satisfied simply by material things.” Throughout history, it has been proven time and time again, that those who rely on material objects such as money, stature, and fortune, often find themselves in a place of dissatisfaction and envy. Such unfavorable feelings occur for no good reason other than the fact that these “material things” have no real meaning, and lack the emotional significance that can be found in real relationships with sincere people. Concepts like meaningful relationships and empathy are concepts that people who focus solely on status and riches often fail to understand. The idea of what happens when one has an intense dependence on “material things” is further explored in the novel, The Great Gatsby. This period piece, narrated by Nick Carraway, and written by famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald, investigates the chaotic and intricate social system …show more content…

Despite the anguish she felt, Daisy followed through with the wedding, because she knew that it meant she would gain more wealth, and power. The night before her wedding day, she receives a letter from Jay Gatsby, the man she presumably loved. His letter is enough to tear her to pieces, and almost enough to change the course of her life. She then allows herself to wallow in sadness and alcohol, so much so that she reveals her true emotions, and breaks her expensive pearls, regardless of the prosperity and wealth they represented:
“Here, deares." She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. "Take 'em down-stairs and give 'em back to whoever they belong to. Tell 'em all Daisy 's change ' her mind. Say: “Daisy 's change ' her mine!”

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F. Scott Fitzgerald would be opposed to the redevelopment of Willets Point due to his belief that classism and the pursuit of the American Dream hurts those who are not apart of that affluence. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Myrtle is a woman married to Mr. Wilson who is the owner of an auto shop in the valley of ashes which is a very poor industrial area in the book. Myrtle marries Mr. Wilson believing he was a well off business owner who would be able to support her, however, she finds out otherwise: “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman… I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoes” (Fitzgerald 34). In Myrtle’s hasty pursuit of the American Dream she marries Mr. Wilson to use him to achieve the

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She shoves the letter into the tub and destroys it. The scene foreshadows Gatsby’s death in his swimming pool and how love was his ultimate demise. The destruction of the letter and her secrecy in not telling anyone what it said gives the audience a visual representation of how Daisy drowns her emotions for the sake of having her life of wealth. She does not trust Gatsby to come back to her and chooses to be secure for the rest of her life, even if that means sacrificing love. After all, pearls are not as easily destroyed as letters.

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Daisy's change' her mind!’ ” (129). At the last minute Daisy tries to escape the wedding and attempts give back the pearls that represent everything that Tom is. The only thing about Tom that Daisy loves are the amount of zeros in his bank account. When Daisy finally meets the famed Jay Gatsby almost instinctively she falls in “love” with him.

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As a result, S. Fitzgerald portrays the corruption during this era by creating a novel infused with lies and deception. The author, S. Fitzgerald drives a basic storyline in which characters, in the novel, compose their identity through lies and deception. Jay

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby describes the life of Jay Gatsby in the 1920’s. The novel shares his love story and his loneliness. A major question the author raises is how does wealth impact class structure and society? Fitzgerald answers this question through the distinction between “New rich” and “Old rich” and the significance of East and West Egg.

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America is viewed as a land of dreams and opportunities. Gatsby, this man, used to describe his ambition as a “Green light”, it represented his desire for whatever thing he wanted, this being fame, money, great power, and love as well. Many think that coming to America and making yourself somebody is the key to success, but to what extent can one go to achieve this is the real question. Gatsby is a great example of this. A poor young man with a broken heart wanted to make himself somebody to win over the love of his life once again.

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Cynthia Rusli describes how everything we do in life happens for a reason when she says, “Do you believe that there are no coincidences in life? Everything happens for a reason. Every person we meet have a role in our life, either it is big or small. Some will hurt, betray and make us cry. Some will teach us lessons, not to change us, but to make us be a better person.”.

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Through the early to mid 1900s, the concept of striving to attain more than one is originally born with became predominant in most American societies. During this era, many authors, through literature, began expressing their concern with the rise in materialistic ideals and its effect on society and the individuals living within it, one being F. Scott Fitzgerald. Two of Fitzgerald’s widely-known works of literature, The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams”, both heavily elaborate on the effects of the increase in materialism and the ultimate effects of attempting to achieve the American Dream; this is conveyed through the unhappiness of the Dexter and Gatsby despite their perseverance to acquire women of higher social statuses. These texts both reach the conclusion that the American Dream is not within reach of anyone. Fitzgerald’s representation of the unattainable American Dream is demonstrated in The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” through his portrayal of the materialistic nature of society as well as the characters’ failure to possess the women they love.

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Gatsby Thematic Essay In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, lots of connections are drawn through various thematic subjects presented in this novel. One of these connections is between love, wealth, and social status, which are all very prominent subjects within The Great Gatsby. The relationships between various characters within the pages of this written work make one message very apparent: Love can be regarded as flimsy and deceitful when it is dictated by one’s wealth and social status.

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F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" is a poignant critique of the Jazz Age in America, exploring the theme of materialism and its detrimental effects on society. Through its vivid characters, intricate plot, and nuanced tone, Fitzgerald masterfully depicts the shallow and empty nature of materialistic pursuits and the tragic consequences that ensue. In this analysis, we will delve into how the characters in the novel are portrayed as materialistic and why this obsession with wealth and possessions is ultimately depicted as destructive. One of the key aspects of materialism in "The Great Gatsby" is the portrayal of characters who are solely driven by the pursuit of wealth and possessions.

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Once Daisy begins to see Gatsby on a regular basis, Gatsby begins to encourage Daisy to leave Tom and create a life with him. In the novel, Nick observes, “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: "I never loved you." After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, after she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house—just as if it were five years ago.” Gatsby believes he can provide Daisy with a lavish and happy life that her unfaithful husband could never give

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The American dream states that any individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, and/or religion simply by working hard. The 1920’s were a time of corruption and demise of moral values in society. The first World War had passed, and people were reveling in the materialism that came at the end of it, such as advanced technology and innovative inventions. The novel The Great Gatsby exploits the theme of the American Dream as it takes place in a corrupt period in history. Although the American Dream seemed more attainable than ever in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby demonstrates how materialism and the demise of moral values in society leads to the corruption and impossibility of the American Dream.

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The characters in the novel pretend that they have their lives all figured out, but through their successes their downfalls and emptiness can be seen, to prove that money cannot buy happiness. Jay Gatsby is the newest and upcoming star in New York during the 1920’s. Through his business and inheritance he is one of the richest men of his time. One may think that his abundance of wealth would lead him to be eternally happy, but he is the opposite. Gatsby longs for his love of Daisy, which is his personal American Dream.

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In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, social class is a key theme, as seen by every character having their own distinct class. Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and even Nick are old money, Gatsby is new money, and the Wilson 's are no money. In short, the more money you have, the better off you will be. In the epigraph of the novel, there is a poem by Thomas Parke D 'Invilliers, who is a fictional character created by Fitzgerald himself. This poem is about using materialism to win over the affection of someone, which is exactly what Gatsby tries to do.

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