Great Gatsby Essay Example

love with Nick’s cousin Daisy, but is rejected by her. Unable to move past Daisy's rejection, Jay Gatsby devotes his life to changing the past and winning her love, although she is already married. Though he requires wealth and status, and all the things Daisy is looking for she is already taken and events are already set in motion that lead to Gatsby’s lonely unfulfilled, demise. The author, F Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to show how the materialistic attitude of the 1920’s leads many people to hopeless depression.

Jay Gatsby, a man who spends his entire adult life attempting to raise his social and economic status, only to show how the materialistic attitude can lead to one’s catastrophic downfall. F. Scott Fitzgerald lived during the 1920’s, the start of a materialistic era in which money and social status meant everything. F. Scott Fitzgerald fell in love with a wealthy woman, therefore, he felt as if he could not provide for his significant other. As a result, F. Scott Fitzgerald attempted to acquire wealth at a rapid rate, “In July 1918, while he was stationed near Montgomery, Ala. he met Zelda Sayre, the daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. They fell deeply in love, and, as soon as he could, Fitzgerald headed for New York determined to achieve instant success and to marry Zelda. What he achieved was an advertising job at $90 a month. “(“F. Scott Fitzgerald”, par 1). F. Scott Fitzgerald felt as though by requiring wealth and status, he will be good enough for Zelda. He firmly believed that money and respect are the only aspects one can have in

order to achieve happiness.

Like many other people during his time, F Scott Fitzgerald believed that moving up the social and economic ladder could bring a sense of fulfillment. The desire for money in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life were among the influences that led him to write The Great Gatsby in which he communicated the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. The time period in which The Great Gatsby was written was a materialistic and superficial era. The culture and attitude of the 1920’s is evident in The Great Gatsby. The 1920’s was a time of bootlegging and parties.

An economic boom was taking place, and this was the start of the "American Dream". Middle class people in society began to acquire this belief in which one could obtain anything they want with money. Therefore, the desire for wealth became immense. Jay Gatsby's hunger for materialism enables him to do anything that will greatly achieve wealth. Jay Gatsby opts to try illegal methods in order to maximize his profit, " He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side street drug stores here in Chicago and cold grain alcohol over the counter" (Fitzgerald, F Scott 141).

Jay Gatsby's materialistic desire causes him to be involved in illegal business with Wolfsheim. Thus, proving that materialism corrupts him. As a result, Jay Gatsby's materialistic values are damaging since he receives a bad reputation and is known to be a corrupted and untrustworthy man. Jay Gatsby is a man that was born poor, even in his youth; Jay Gatsby was not content with what he had. Jay Gatsby wants money and thus

manages to get it. However, Jay Gatsby does not get Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life. Jay Gatsby spends his entire life in order to raise his economic status.

Jay Gatsby firmly believes that in order to get Daisy back he must be more opulent than her husband, Tom. Jay Gatsby goes to great lengths in order to get Daisy back to him. The newfound wealth Jay Gatsby acquires becomes the major component towards his imminent yet catastrophic downfall. Moreover, Jay Gatsby's desire for money in order to be content ironically leads towards him being unhappy. Thus, further implicating the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. The imminent problems wealth causes are effectively illustrated in The Great Gatsby.

In the story, Nick speaks of Daisy at the end of the novel. Daisy kills Myrtle, a lower class woman. Daisy runs over myrtle with a Jay Gatsby’s car without his knowledge, and does not assist him when he is blamed for her murder. Afterwards, Daisy does not He talks about how they smashed people up and then, "retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together…" (Fitzgerald, F. Scott 188). Nick points out the similarity between Tom and Daisy’s characters and attitudes about money.

Tom and Daisy were concerned not only with the money, but everything that went along with being wealthy. Daisy's carelessness reveals her corruption. Daisy Buchanan uses her wealth and social position to escape any problems. Daisy Buchanan flees from the murder of Tom’s mistress Myrtle. Daisy uses Gatsby’s car to kill Myrtle and allows Gatsby to take the

blame, thus proving her corruption. Daisy did not want to risk leaving the east egg, a place of high economic standing. Daisy’s actions exemplify the dishonest use of power for personal gain.

Daisy uses her money as a means to take advantage of people from a lower class such as Myrtle. The materialistic nature that Daisy exhibits corrupts her and causes her to become a self-centered and callous person. Daisy's attachment to wealth causes her corrupted. Furthermore, Daisy's materialistic attitude causes her to show no compassion for human beings altogether. Daisy Buchanan is a woman of higher social and economic standing, nonetheless, she is still not content. Daisy kills her husband’s mistress in order to keep her luxury lifestyle, however, that causes her life to become chaotic.

The wealthy lifestyle that Daisy Buchanan lived has caused her to become despaired. Thus, proving the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald lived during the 1920’s, the start of a materialistic era in which money and social status meant everything. F. Scott Fitzgerald obtained wealth at a rapid rate. The desire for money was driven by the possibility of self-fulfillment and contentment. As a result, the opposite occurred, “In 1927 the Fitzgeralds rented the 27 bedroom mansion Ellerslie, near Wilmington, Delaware and drunken parties ensued.

Fitzgerald was increasingly turning to alcohol, sometimes becoming abusive. Zelda often acted out impetuously, embarrassing herself in front of friends and strangers. She became fixated on her old love, ballet, often practicing to the point of physical and emotional collapse” (“Fitzgerald”Par. 2). F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his newfound wealth to purchase items. By throwing extravagant

parties, it is evident that F. Scott Fitzgerald is materialistic. However, the materialistic attitude causes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s family to be unhappy.

The Fitzgerald family began to acquire a sense of carelessness, they firmly believed that money and a high social standing equates to happiness. The author chose materialism over his desire to be happy. Through the means of materialistic possessions, F. Scott Fitzgerald believed that he would be more content with himself. Conversely, the superficial attitude led F. Scott Fitzgerald and his family towards a path of destruction and great unhappiness. The obsession with materialism has caused F. Scott Fitzgerald to live a bleak and depressing life. The great unhappiness due to money that F.

Scott Fitzgerald experienced enabled him to effectively convey the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. The 1920’s are known as the jazz age. The economy was at its peak and the country was split up between people of “old money” and “new money”. The competitive society of the 1920’s enabled people to become fixated on material things. F. Scott Fitzgerald worked as a writer for the Saturday Evening Post. He did whatever he could do in order to maximize his profit.

However, the materialistic ambition led F. Scott Fitzgerald towards a disastrous downfall, “Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald did spend money faster than e earned it; the author who wrote so eloquently about the effects of money on character was unable to manage his own finances”(“Fitzgerald Biography” par. 1). The novel, The Great Gatsby centers on the negative view of money. Nonetheless, F. Scott Fitzgerald himself was focused on his economic status that he did

not acknowledge the dangers of materialism. The Great Gatsby is a story of how good fortune can bring great unhappiness. However, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald spent carelessly and was only about his economic standing. The obsession with materialism caused F.

Scott Fitzgerald to lead towards a life of bankruptcy. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s superficial attitude is the main aspect towards his demise. Thus, proving the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. Many people during the 1920 have attempted to accomplish the American dream. The American Dream provides a sense of hope and faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of human wishes and desires. This dream, however, originates from a desire for spiritual and material improvement. Unfortunately, the acquisition of material has been tied together with happiness in America.

The characters in the story flaunt their wealth in order to make themselves look inferior to others. Nick invites Jay Gatsby go with him to the east egg. Jay Gatsby drives over to East Egg to have dinner at the Buchanan’s home. When Jay Gatsby arrives, Tom shows Jay Gatsby around his home, “I’ve got a nice place here,” he said, his eyes flashing about restlessly. Turning me around by one arm, he moved a broad flat hand along the front vista, including in its sweep a sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motor-boat that bumped the tide offshore”(Fitzgerald, 12).

Tom takes pride in his possessions. His boastful remark of acquiring a “nice place” clearly reveals his materialistic obsessions. The superficial and shallow attitude that Tom possess intensifies as the story progresses. Moreover, the

flaunting of his home clearly indicates that he gives much attention to the house’s appearances. The ‘’ old money’’ individuals in the book, such as Tom Buchanan believe that happiness can be achieved through material objects. It is evident that Tom believes that flaunting and beautifying his home could bring a sense of fulfillment.

Furthermore, Tom’s obsession with his reputation causes him to show off all of his accomplishments, including his home. Tom Buchanan exemplifies how materialism alters values. Nevertheless, a materialistic attitude is essential in order to succeed in a competitive society that is the 1920’s. Tom Buchanan is a man that lives in a place of luxury and social respectability; however, he is still unhappy. The gross materialism and the shallow attitude the characters in The Great Gatsby continually exhibit effectively communicates the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is thus the most potent presentation of materialism. The Great Gatsby shows the 1920’s as a materialistic era in which money was the main focus. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time period as well as the personal experiences were among the influences that led him to write The Great Gatsby in which he communicated the universal truth that money can not bring happiness. The desire for wealth in order to be content can lead one towards a catastrophic downfall. The Great Gatsby shows the risks that come with acquiring wealth. Furthermore, it indicates that good fortune can lead to great unhappiness.

The unhappy life that the characters and the author lived despite their wealth further insinuates the universal truth that money can not bring happiness.

All in all, The Great Gatsby is a classic American literature that has been passed down for generations. Although it was written during the 1920’s, nonetheless, it still remains a stellar piece of writing. The Great Gatsby indicates that wealth is not an important factor, and that, when one does acquire wealth they cannot bring true happiness. Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan prove this to its entirety. F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s materialistic nature effectively conveys the lesson in the text, money can not bring happiness. The characters in the story believe that a substantial amount of money will make one’s life content, ironically, the life of luxury in which they live, is a prominent contributor towards their depression. The superficial attitude as well as the unhappiness the characters exhibit successfully communicates the universal truth money can not bring happiness. Overall, The Great Gatsby is an intriguing story that intensifies with every turned page. It contains lessons that will be taught for generations to come.