Ownership In The Great Gatsby Essay

Ownership: What Identifies Oneself

In late 2022 the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, gave away his multi-billion dollar company to a trust and non-profit organization. In this single event, his identity changed from that of a company owner to a climate change activist. Ownership is a very complicated concept that can be observed in different variations. Aristotle claims that owning tangible goods helps individuals develop moral character, but Satre claims learning a new skill is also a form of ownership. Whether we are buying our first home or purchasing a piece of jewelry we've been saving up for, it allows us to further develop our self-identity with objects. Individuals can also have ownership over a skill they have developed as it

In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle's reality is that she is a poor mistress who lives in the Valley of Ashes. However, when she is with Tom she lives in a fantasy world of fancy gifts and nice items. For example, Tom pays for their apartment in the city and buys her a puppy at one of their frequent meetings. These tangible goods give Myrtle the appearance of a rich city girl making her much more confident in her self-identity. Another example in The Great Gatsby is Gatsby himself working all his life to gain the intangible ownership of Daisy’s heart. Gatsby was so deeply in love with Daisy and believed that once he acquired that love back his life would be complete. Throughout the book, we see the ups and downs of their relationship and with that we see Gatsby's identity and character fluctuate as well. This relationship really emphasizes how intangible objects can affect identity and

Accomplishing a new skill gives individuals a sense of pride and accomplishment that also weighs on their self-identity. When learning a new language we have to be determined to work hard and fully develop the language. Once we have mastered it, we take on this language as a new characteristic and try to use it whenever possible. It is similar when learning a new instrument. Numerous musicians spend years and years perfecting their talent and once they do, try to make a career out of it. Both of these allow the individual to use these newly acquired skills to further their identity and character. It can also affect their social status and perception by others because these are skills that are commonly shared with