Role Of Consumerism In The Great Gatsby

Money, status and Power, the roaring 20’s trifecta. The booming post World War economy created an era of consumerism, resulting in popular social movements known as prohibition, flappers, and the Harlem Renaissance. Consumerism plays a significant role in F. Scott Fitzgerlad’s tragic novel “The Great Gatsby”. The story took place in New York City and right outside in the West and East egg of Rhode Island while focusing on the lavish lifestyle of the social elites. Fitzgerald focuses heavily on the life of a specific character, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby represents the American dream, as he is a self made man, but throughout the novel although he has a world of wealth he is missing what he truly desires; love. In the tragic novel, “The Great Gatsby”,

He invents a reality in which his relationship with Daisy can return to how it was before the war but fails to realize that Daisy and he have changed. Before Gatsby left for WWI, he was stationed in Louisville, Kentucky where fell in love with the belle, Daisy Fey. Gatsby was left enchanted and completely in love by her money, status, and the life he could imagine with her. Unfortunately for Jay he got drafted overseas to fight in World War 1, before he left for the war Daisy promised that she would wait to marry until he returned home, the southern belle faced pressure to keep her status, so she married a star polo player Tom Bucahonon and shaped her life. The text states, “‘You can’t repeat the past’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously ‘Why of course you can’” (Fitzgerald 110). Gastby is trying to convince himself and Nick Carraway that he can win Daisy back and have a life with her. It shows his fierce determination that he could win her back, but Gastby is so focused on his future with Daisy that it leaves him unable to move on from what had occurred in the past. The notion that Daisy loves Gatsby enough to drop her entire life to be with him is delusional because of the life that Daisy has gone on to live. He fails to realize that it is quite literally impossible to return to the past as Daisy had gotten married and had a baby with Tom Buchanan. Not to mention she had

The intense steps he took to win her back ended up changing him for the worse. Fitzgerald introduces Gatsby as having this mysterious yet flamboyant personality. Gatsby tried to dazzle Daisy by displaying his wealth through his parties, which didn’t exactly have the effect he had hoped. When he rekindled his relationship with Daisy Buchanan, Jay toned down his extravagance and became a far-fetched dreamer. When Gatsby failed to realize that their relationship was in the past and could never return to the way it was trouble struck, and when he gave one last effort Daisy ended the affair and chose to continue to be with Tom. When Daisy chose Tom, Gatsby fell into a deep depression, this caused Gatsby to become deeply depressed as Gatsby had given his all and he fell short in the end. Throughout “The Great Gatsby”, Fitzgerald emphasizes the dangers of living in the past instead of the present and many victims could fall down a similar rabbit-hole to that of Gatsby, if not able to move on and change. Is past love really worth throwing your life