The american dream is a subject that has been debated about for quite some time. In the book “The Great Gatsby”, F. Scott Fitzgerald implies that the american dream is based on wealth and materialism through his description of his characters’ extravagant lives. Set in the early 1900’s, in Long Island, New York, the book is a collection of characters’ lives from the viewpoint of Nick Carraway, the main character, and the difference between east and west egg, long island. This book hints the american dream is materialistic and based on wealth because of the way many characters concentrate more on status and wealth rather than the person, how the characters use materials and money to impress other characters, and the fact most characters by things
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While talking to her sister, Myrtle says the reason she has her husband is; “‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe(ch2 pg38).’” This shows how much she disvalues her husband not for his personality or even his past, but the fact that he is poor. Tom, meanwhile, is having affair with Myrtle, the way she met him is described as; “He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him but every time he looked at me I had to pretend to be looking at the advertisement over his head.” It seems as though, from this quote, that the only reason she noticed, or even looked at, Tom was simply because he was dressed in wealthy attire. However, it isn’t just clothing and how people seem that show how materialistic people can …show more content…
The characters are the types to buy objects just to own them. Tom states “‘Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.’(ch2)” This statement shows how worthless he feels the money and animals really are. Myrtle later explains to her sister “I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get. A massage and a wave and a collar for the dog and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer.(ch2)” She listed so many things, and one was sort of necessary since she had bought a dog earlier in the chapter, showing what people bought just to have close to them and to spoil
While talking to her sister, Myrtle says the reason she has her husband is; “‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe(ch2 pg38).’” This shows how much she disvalues her husband not for his personality or even his past, but the fact that he is poor. Tom, meanwhile, is having affair with Myrtle, the way she met him is described as; “He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him but every time he looked at me I had to pretend to be looking at the advertisement over his head.” It seems as though, from this quote, that the only reason she noticed, or even looked at, Tom was simply because he was dressed in wealthy attire. However, it isn’t just clothing and how people seem that show how materialistic people can …show more content…
The characters are the types to buy objects just to own them. Tom states “‘Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.’(ch2)” This statement shows how worthless he feels the money and animals really are. Myrtle later explains to her sister “I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get. A massage and a wave and a collar for the dog and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer.(ch2)” She listed so many things, and one was sort of necessary since she had bought a dog earlier in the chapter, showing what people bought just to have close to them and to spoil