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Wealth And Happiness In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Arush Verma Period 8 APQ3 Choice A
Money doesn’t buy happiness. And yet, it buys cars. It buys mansions. It buys better food. It buys better clothes. It buys vacations. It buys a life for you and your family. Others still argue that you can be happy without money. However, if we look at the story of George Wilson in The Great Gatsby, we see how he worked his entire life and was miserable and unable to experience hope or happiness. Additionally, I have lived in both worlds, with and without. I would choose with in a heartbeat. And yet, Carl Richards from the New York Times argues that materialistic desires will leave you wanting and instead, you should acquire experiences. But even he admits to leaving for New Zealand for a year. Such an experience …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald explores the relationship between wealth and happiness through the lives of its characters. Set in the roaring twenties, the story focuses on the life of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man who throws extravagant parties to win back Daisy Buchanan. Despite his wealth and luxurious lifestyle, Gatsby is unable to find true happiness, as his love for Daisy is unattainable. However, this seems to be a case of overambition and materialism on the part of Gatsby as Tom and Daisy are able to live quite a happy life. While Tom and Daisy were unfaithful and had affairs with Myrtle and Gatsby respectively, their wealth allowed them to put the past behind them and take luxurious trips while not having the stress of working a job. On the other side of the spectrum, we see the life of George Wilson, a poor mechanic who works tirelessly but is unable to find happiness in his life. Out of everyone portrayed in the novel, it seemed like he deserved to be happy the most because he worked hard and suffered the most - yet he remained the least happy. Through these characters, Fitzgerald delves into the complex relationship between money and happiness and firmly asserts that wealthier people are happier given that they don’t pursue materialistic or over-ambitious …show more content…

Don’t Count on More Happiness” that wealth isn’t necessarily correlated with happiness. He cites a study conducted in 1970 that observed that lottery winners weren’t any happier than non-lottery winners. This supports his claim but may be flawed as winning the lottery may not have given the person the same sense of satisfaction that someone would experience if they had worked hard for it. Additionally, Richards makes an interesting comparison between the cycle of consumerism and a “hedonic treadmill” calling into question the whole idea that materialism may increase happiness. He instead explains that it is better to experience different things. To spend time with your family. To have fun with your friends. And to travel and see the world. He ends the article by stating that he is embarking on a year-long journey to New Zealand. This, however, introduces a conflict, as a trip to New Zealand would certainly cost a lot of money. While Richards makes a valid point that consumerism simply feeds this hedonic treadmill, his recommendation to try various new experiences comes with a caveat: many of these experiences cost

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