F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ was set during the 1920's, a period of great enormous expansion and industrial prosperity in America. With this came the rise of the bourgeoisie and ‘American Dream.’ While this idea was idealized by mass culture, Fitzgerald wished to that show it, and the upper class that followed was not as perfect as it seemed. Thus, a key theme in the novel is the decline of the American dream and money, both tied to a major concept of the shallowness, materialism, and vainness of the upper classes. Fitzgerald illustrates this through his characterization of key individuals: namely Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby, who represent the upper-class man and wife, and the self-made-man, respectively. Fitzgerald’s …show more content…
Gatsby’s desire for Daisy illustrates his materialism and hollowness. For example, while her voice was initially described as having "singing compulsion," and a particularly seductive "arrangement of notes" (Fitzgerald 33), Gatsby described it as, “Her voice is full of money.” (Fitzgerald 120). That is to say, it captivates others and conveys her social status, wealth, and glamor, thus acting as the human representation of everything Gatsby wants, the final trophy to his success rather than a true emotional connection. This materialistic, vain, attitude is at odds with the trope of the self-made-man and therefore makes them see the nouveau riche in a darker light. Gatsby also owns a dresser that is “garnished with a toilet set of pure dull gold.” This accentuates the materialism of his lifestyle; he has so much money he doesn't know how to use it effectively, splurging on something so frivolous. The 'dullness' of the gold could further suggest the fundamentally disappointing truth about wealth. Lastly, in death, Gatsby is left nearly alone, as the people who frequented his parties every week abandoned him; “Nobody came” (Fitzgerald 113) to his funeral. This event was representative of the class as a whole, only willing to care about others when it served themselves, failing to form a meaningful connection based on something other than wealth, again, highlighting materialism and self-indulgence.
In conclusion, the characters of Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby, and their relationships, all paint the upper class as materialistic, hollow, prejudiced, and overall, antagonize the pursuit of the American dream and idealization of wealth, which greatly contrasted public opinion and culture in the 1920’s, therefore changing the audience’s perception about such