Essay On Materialism In The Great Gatsby

Superior Essays
Materialism in The Great Gatsby

Within the characters’ relationships in The Great Gatsby, money and materialism are huge motivators. Most of the characters reveal themselves to be highly materialistic, their motivations driven by their desire for money and material possessions. Wealth, material possessions, and power are the core values of the "American Dream" which characters such as Daisy, Tom, Gatsby and Myrtle all try to achieve or have achieved to some degree.

For many Americans, like the characters in Fitzgerald's novel, the American dream is a dream which is based solely upon reaching a higher standard of living. Gatsby is one of these Americans who wants to achieve that dream. Gatsby based his whole self-being on how much money he earned, and the possessions he had, such as buying a fancy house and owning a fancy car which "everybody had seen" (Fitzgerald 65). Gatsby felt that with money there came many advantages
…show more content…
Daisy is very materialistic, which is why she is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth. The readers also see Gatsby is drawn to her due to the money and status she represents. Daisy only begins her affair with Gatsby after a detailed display of his wealth. Gatsby, like a peacock showing off its multi-coloured tail, flaunts his wealth to Daisy by showing off his ridiculously expensive set of coloured shirts. Interestingly, this is the first time where Daisy fully breaks down emotionally “It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before” (Fitzgerald 94). Which she does not do when she first sees Gatsby, or after their first long conversation, but at this extremely noticeable display of wealth. This speaks to her materialism and how, in her world, a certain amount of wealth is a barrier to entry for a relationship (friendship or

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Jealousy In Gatsby

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gatsby is conflicted but comprehends that wealth is something to be appreciated such as when Gatsby recalls a quote “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (1.1-3). Forgetting or intentionally ignoring this advice Gatsby seems to begin an affair with childlike jealousy about Daisy. Daisy is in no position to be envied yet Gatsby cannot see that so Gatsby attempts to prove greatness yet that is mistaken for longing after Daisy. Gatsby admits to wanting to be known as affluent along with successful when Gatsby declares “Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly”(7.99). Gatsby has a tendency to speak in riddles yet that quote there is no need to read between the lines.…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Gatsby being selfish with his love “creates devastating portraits of wealthy men who are motivated by greed and prejudice”(Brucker). Gatsby who is a wealthy man who believes that since he’s rich and successful he can now complete the American dream by using his money and materialistic things to find himself love to make himself happy but it’s more than that, Daisy may have loved his beautiful clothes but she can't love his personality when it’s tainted with an impure…

    • 1617 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • 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
  • Improved Essays

    Gatsby’s love, Daisy, is trapped in a world of materialism due to the highly materialistic society of 1920’s America. This money-minded society is a result of the abundance of wealth due to the economic boom after WWI, the rapid wealth creation from bootlegging due to prohibition, and the extravagant and unrestrained lifestyles of wealthy New York. The character Daisy Buchanan represents this materialistic society, and thus her love is centred on materialism. “It makes me so sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful clothes before” By pairing “beautiful shirts” and “sad”, Daisy ironically exposes her mistake in marrying Tom instead of Gatsby. This expresses her highly materialistic and thus conditional love for Gatsby.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I agree Daisy prioritizes wealth over happiness, as shown by her breakdown after seeing Gatsby’s “pile of shirts,” which Daisy thinks are “such beautiful shirts” (92). When “Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily,” she realizes not only to what extent she values money, but also that Gatsby could have given her both money and love. In addition, Gatsby’s shirts are vibrantly colored like “coral,” “apple-green,” “lavender,” “faint orange,” and “Indian blue” instead of plain colors like black and white, which shows the great love Gatsby and Daisy could have had. Because she throws herself at Gatsby’s shirts instead of Gatsby, Daisy shows that she is attracted to high status and high economic standing.…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People come to America with an open mind and a goal to achieve the “American Dream.” Material possessions, power, and especially wealth form the internal structure of the “American Dream. " For most Americans, their dream is based purely upon reaching a superior style of living. Gatsby was a prime example of one of those Americans who pursued his whole life for wealth and power. Gatsby based his whole being on how much money and the possessions he had.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved 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

    The corruption of the American Dream is a prevalent theme in classic literature, as it highlights the falsified illusions of social mobility and power commonly promoted during the early twentieth century. The motivation for socio-economic inclination is generally consumed by materialism and shallowness in an effort to satisfy the constant lack of self fulfillment, which inevitably leads to self destruction. Many people blindly accept the idealistic concept of social and economic mobility only to discover its unattainableness. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the corruption underlying the pursuit of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby. In an effort to captivate Daisy’s attention, Jay Gatsby publicly displays his wealth and…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    According to William Veogeli, Gatsby “got rich quick out of a sense of urgency and desperation and crazy hopefulness, out of refusing to get over a broken heart and give up the love of his life” (Voegeli 69). Regretfully, Daisy`s actions due to societal expectations and social class differences proved she loved…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She is not part of the first class like most of the other characters in the book, but she still wants the material things just as bad. One way that Myrtle uses money to her advantage is throwing parties. The parties lead her peers to believe that she is wealthy, which she is not. Another way that she is influenced by money is pursuing in another love interest other than her husband George. “He borrowed somebody's best suit to get married in, and never told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out...…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    American Dream: The Great Gatsby In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. S. Fitzgerald writes about a time period in American history where achieving anything was possible, at least that was the common belief. Not only does he describe the economic, social, and historical circumstances that drive his characters, but also a glimpse into the minds of the characters that they use as a way to justify their actions and motives. The most basic reason for the actions that take place in the course of the book is towards an idea that many people are familiar with. It’s the American Dream.…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior 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

    The Great Gatsby revolves a lot around the American Dream. “During the 1920s, the perception of the American Dream was that an individual can achieve success in life regardless of family history or social status if they only work hard enough” (The Demise of the 1920’s). During the story Gatsby represents the American dream, he rises above his father and becomes the rich man he wanted to be. The novel also shows the condition of the American Dream in the 1920s. The topics of dreams, wealth, and time relate to each other in the novel’s exploration of the idea of America.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gatsby’s blindness to reality can be further attributed to Daisy’s metaphorical gleaming and her overwhelmingly material lifestyle. When Gatsby is recalling the first time he met Daisy, the author's use of visual imagery shows how Gatsby was blinded by Daisy’s radiance and material wealth. Gatsby saw, “...Daisy, gleaming like silver…”(150) and kissed her, “...shining hair…’(150). By comparing Daisy to a gleaming piece of silver, Fitzgerald illustrates Gatsby’s partially blinded view of Daisy. He thought he saw her as a love interest, but instead, he subconsciously saw her as a commodity, a glittering investment.…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays