The Great Gatsby Materialism Essay

Great Essays
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is considered by literature critics to be the “Great American Novel” with the only other work considered to be of the same caliber being Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Yet what makes a “Great American Novel” one may ask? A Great American Novel has to show the reader the culture of America at a specific time period. And F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel The Great Gatsby shows us the negative effects of American Society’s Notions of Materialism and the recession of the American Dream. The novel as a whole makes us challenge the notions of materialism and the notion of opulent lifestyles defining people, denying themselves of actually intimacy. Materialism is one of the important elements the Fitzgerald …show more content…
To the point which the only way they can express their emotions is by displaying themselves with their opulence. One example is set up clear in the beginning of Chapter 3 by Gatsby 's Actions, ““See!” he cried triumphantly, It 's a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella 's a regular Belasco. It 's a Triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too – didn 't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect” (Fitzgerald 45-46) While some may assume that Gatsby read the book. One key detail here is the sentence didn 't cut the pages. Books in the past were printed and folded to be glued to the spine, however some are left uncut leading for the reader to finish the task. Gatsby 's hastiness putting the book away to hide away the fact that the pages weren 't cut thus preserving his boast. This is similar to Tom 's rant about the Rise of the Colored Empires. Both don 't know their subjects clearly yet it is an excellent foil executed by Fitzgerald show that in order to impress their fellow guests they demonstrate whatever material they have on hand to uphold their own claim of intelligence. Both are defending their claim for attending prestigious school. This shows how even though the wealth of knowledge that Gatsby and Tom attempt to flaunt, true knowledge cannot be bought. Fitzgerald uses this to …show more content…
“I 've got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall.....Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. They 're such beautiful shirts, she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. It makes me sad because I 've never seen such beautiful shirts before” (Fitzgerald 92). While one may argue that Gatsby and Daisy are both flabbergasted and lack the words to express their true emotions, yet I argue that they have no other words to express due to Materialism. Fitzgerald shows us that Gatsby 's true motivation for throwing the epic party 's was to win back Daisy 's affection. Yet since Louisville both went on separate paths,being in the Old Money side of the upper class only knew and cared about the material things in life. While she still loved Gatsby, Daisy married Tom since she wanted someone who would take charge of everything even down to not worrying about finances, material things. Gatsby knew that the best possible chance for him to see and win back Daisy 's heart was to become rich. Yet both became disillusion from the first reason they fell in love in the first place. Disillusioned to point of Gatsby saying, “Her voice is full of money.”(Fitzgerald 120) Daisy chose to be with Tom getting gifts and traveling

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Great Gatsby: Old Wealth vs. New Wealth Immigrants from various nations left many Americans jobless. New wealth and old wealth had a major gap than others recognized. The Great Gatsby showed the gap between the Buchanan’s and Gatsby in assorted ways. The feelings and relationship between Tom and Gatsby reflected upon the money they had. The wealth described the social status of many of the individuals.…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    It’s obvious that Tom was the key to this as opposed to Gatsby. For both Tom and Daisy this is clear to the eye as they are”… perfect examples of wealth…but their lives are empty and without purpose” (Rowel 1). The couple’s lives are so distant and desolate. With Daisy being money hungry and surrounding Tom with false love, Daisy destroys her…

    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why Is Jay Gatsby Outdated

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages

    America during the 1920s underwent significant societal changes as it attempted to adapt to the new environment brought about by the rapid urbanization and immigration of the previous decades. Women developed new roles within society and the economy flourished. However some writers looked past the vibrant and youthful facade into the darker issues of the time such as decadence and materialism. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of these writers and his novel The Great Gatsby explores the gap that had formed between pre and post-war society. The namesake of the novel Jay Gatsby is a successful businessman who has achieved financial success through talent and hard work.…

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    American Dream in the context of The Great Gatsby Undecided Sun Seo Jeon 20140880 The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, which proposes that opportunity is given to everyone according to their ability or achievement regardless of their social class, and that anything, such as rising from rags to riches, is possible with enough hard work and tenacity. This interplay between idealism and materialism is at once contradictory and complementary, because idealistic dream usually has a substantial material base. The concept of this dream is ideal since it suggests hope, opportunity and equality, but the realization and the ultimate goal, which is usually rising up the social ladder or becoming rich, is material.…

    • 1019 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came” (Fitzgerald,). Daisy and Tom were also both disillusioned, mainly in their relationship. Tom paraded around with mistresses and Daisy was toying with Gatsby’s heart; both were in their separate fantasy worlds, imagining a life they subconsciously knew they would never lead. That is ultimately why they remained together in the end, despite the adulterous way they treated their relationship.…

    • 2691 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    This woman, for whom Gatsby so desperately longs, loves not for love itself, but for monetary security: to take an example, Daisy behaves notably emotionally upon seeing a collection of shirts Gatsby owns during a visit to Gatsby’s mansion, “‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before’” (92). Gatsby knows he can only win back the affection of Daisy by proving to her that he is richer than Tom. He correctly discerns Daisy’s immense adoration of physical objects—she goes so far as to cry into a mound of Gatsby’s shirts, yet she barely shows any grief for his death. Gatsby, on the other hand, takes his love for Daisy unnecessarily far: although Gatsby had sought to become wealthy before meeting Daisy, their acquaintance, out of all to be considered, drives Gatsby the most to attain richness.…

    • 1214 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    How does Fitz present the moral corruption of the 1920s? Fitzgerald criticizes the moral corruption of 1920s society in in the text ‘The Great Gatsby’, as one of materialism, frivolity, and hedonism. The theme of moral corruption is reflected in numerous ways, which Fitzgerald is inherently criticising through his portrayal of materialism and frivolity in upper class characters of the novel, and the symbolism of location. This links directly to the themes of the American Dream, mass consumerism, and Gatsby’s parties. First, arguably, Fitzgerald presents society in the 1920’s to be attracted to a lack of substance and purpose in their lives.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The setting in any novel remarkably impacts both characters and actions. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author uses New York City in the 1920’s as a means of influence on the character’s development and actions. The striving for the American Dream, superficial change in women roles, and the absence of religion, are themes within the novel and American life during the Roaring Twenties. The absence of religion is a key theme of the 1920’s that contributes to the development of the characters and their actions. Throughout the novel, God and religion are ignored.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The roaring 20s was all about celebrating great prosperity and having fun with big, wild parties. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the story is taken place in the 1920s where people are constantly surrounded by greed and wealth. Though it appears that Jay Gatsby is the most materialistic character in the novel because of his obsession with becoming wealthy and his flashy parties, it is really Daisy Buchanan who is the most materialistic because her wealth exemplifies her lifestyle, superiority and her happiness. One might argue that Jay Gatsby is the most materialistic character in the novel. Gatsby has always admired the upper class and has aspired to become wealthy from a young age.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the surface of the novel written by Scott F. Fitzgerald, one may say that "The Great Gatsby" illustrates a classic American story with a plot twist, having one of the preeminent characters pass in an abrupt and unforeseen way. However, underneath that very surface lies the resounding theme of the novel—The American Dream. "The Great Gatsby" is a pure symbolic reflection of America in the 1920s, depicting the effects of the sudden boom in the marketplace and the intensified materialistic views people gained. The American Dream in the novel is stripped of its ambition and gaiety once Fitzgerald spun a mordant critique of that particular decaying illusion in the society of the '20s, where people 's ethical significance was splintering, and their giddy greed for wealth and superfluous material items resulted in hedonism—which very well still happens today.…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s take on the “roaring 20’s” in The Great Gatsby is amazingly accurate; events in the book parallel the lives of Americans in the 20’s, and on a larger scale, American society itself. With this connection between fiction and reality, Fitzgerald conveys a variety of themes within the story. The primary vehicle of Fitzgerald’s message is none other than Jay Gatsby- the principle character of the novel; Gatsby himself stands as a symbolization of the “rising” class in society, or those who have the ambition to attempt to ascend in the socio-economic hierarchy, despite humble beginnings. One such themes, that is heavily imparted is the theme of idealism, and this is done mainly through Gatsby. Gatsby’s idealism represents an…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life.” This small but powerful quote describes the trends in the 1920’s, shown in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This era was a time of change from the traditional values and culture of America, whether this was for good or for bad. The Great Gatsby reflects the trends of the 1920’s through the transformation of James Gatz, the differences between the houses in West Egg and East Egg, and the unflattering picture of the era.…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, varying characters experience a multitude of events in attempt to achieve their strenuous goal of accomplishing the American Dream in the 1920s. The pursuits of wealth and happiness, principles of the American Dream, are incredibly profound and significant within The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel criticizes the wealthy class, as well as first elaborates on how to differentiate between the two prominent affluent groups, consisting of those born into wealth and those who acquired their wealth that frequently clash with each other. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby contrasts the polar opposite lifestyles and aesthetics of East Egg and West Egg, displaying the fast- paced ephemera of East Egg, and “West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald 6). The copious amounts of trials and tribulations regarding trivial materialistic wants the protagonists and deuteragonists face in The Great Gatsby end in their deaths as well as detrimental scarring…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Modernism is a literary time period in the early 20th Century known for its desire to convey the truths about how most people felt during that time. Disheartened by several wars and the Great Depression, this period is often characterized by uncertainty, disjointedness, and disillusionment. Several well-known authors as well as works of literature sprang up during that time, and they are highly regarded today in the public atmosphere. In particular, a work of literature that embodies all of the elements of Modernism is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This novel is filled with characters whose actions and words highlight the ubiquitous themes felt during the Modernist time period.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The imagistic writing style that is presented in The Great Gatsby creates countless atmospheres that are perceived differently by the reader and have a long-lasting impact on how they view…

    • 1429 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays