Materialism America fancies the idea that money buys all, whereas Karen Salmansohn claims, “whenever you choose power over love, you will never find true happiness.” This state of mind drives individuals down the wrong path by centralizing their ambitions on worldly possessions and providing a sense of hope towards fulfilling their wishes and desires to take all. Similarly, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates this belief of placing concentration on material perfection such as wealth and status, in The Great Gatsby. The setting of the novel takes place in the early 1920s, which was when wealth became a significant drawback. It was a time full of scandalous people, riches, flappers, and untraditional trends. During this era, people disregarded Prohibition
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The Great Gatsby opens up with the narrator, Nick Carraway, who comes from a well-to-do family in the Midwest, moving east in hopes of joining the bond business. During his time in the East, Carraway meets a highly successful neighbor named Jay Gatsby. Through Nick’s account, we learn that the novel focuses on the experiences and encounters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and himself. Gatsby hopes to repeat the past with the Daisy he once knew, but she cannot live up to his expectations. After all, she cannot just pack up and leave everything behind, especially her family. Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, is an arrogant and terrible man who’s having an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. One day after the group drove into the city, Tom learns of Daisy’s fling with Gatsby and sends them back to East Egg together. While driving home in Gatsby’s car, Daisy unknowingly hits Tom’s mistress, instantly killing her, and doesn’t stop. Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, is in total shock and later decides to seek revenge. After showing up at Tom’s house, he redirects Wilson to Gatsby’s home, where he shoots and kills both Gatsby and …show more content…
James Gatz came from a not well-to-do family in North Dakota. However, his imagination allows him to create another identity that’s ideal to what he intends to be and committed to it. At age seventeen, he officially changes his name to Jay Gatsby and met Dan Cody, a prosperous man. This encounter occurs when Gatsby warns him about a storm. After Gatsby acquainted himself with Cody, he sets out to sea with Dan Cody on his yacht, where Gatsby learns the attitudes of the wealthy. After years of obtaining his wealth from shady affairs, Jay Gatsby bought a mansion in West Egg across from Daisy’s home. In this mansion he threw extravagant parties every night, hoping Daisy would come to one. Unfortunately, everyone but Daisy is attracted to his parties. Gatsby's wealth allures the people, not his personality, and therefore no one bothered getting to know him. Moreover, not one guest appeared at his funeral. Similar to the boat, “the mansion… is a symbol of the man himself and his dream of materialism as a vehicle to success both literally and romantically” (Morton-Mollo). The two represented everything Jay ever wanted: success and all the fortunes in the world. Furthermore, the same concept applies to his feelings towards Daisy Fay. According to Gatsby, “her voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald, Ch. 7). His comment on Daisy’s voice proves that he is drawn in by her and her connection to
The Great Gatsby opens up with the narrator, Nick Carraway, who comes from a well-to-do family in the Midwest, moving east in hopes of joining the bond business. During his time in the East, Carraway meets a highly successful neighbor named Jay Gatsby. Through Nick’s account, we learn that the novel focuses on the experiences and encounters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and himself. Gatsby hopes to repeat the past with the Daisy he once knew, but she cannot live up to his expectations. After all, she cannot just pack up and leave everything behind, especially her family. Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, is an arrogant and terrible man who’s having an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. One day after the group drove into the city, Tom learns of Daisy’s fling with Gatsby and sends them back to East Egg together. While driving home in Gatsby’s car, Daisy unknowingly hits Tom’s mistress, instantly killing her, and doesn’t stop. Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, is in total shock and later decides to seek revenge. After showing up at Tom’s house, he redirects Wilson to Gatsby’s home, where he shoots and kills both Gatsby and …show more content…
James Gatz came from a not well-to-do family in North Dakota. However, his imagination allows him to create another identity that’s ideal to what he intends to be and committed to it. At age seventeen, he officially changes his name to Jay Gatsby and met Dan Cody, a prosperous man. This encounter occurs when Gatsby warns him about a storm. After Gatsby acquainted himself with Cody, he sets out to sea with Dan Cody on his yacht, where Gatsby learns the attitudes of the wealthy. After years of obtaining his wealth from shady affairs, Jay Gatsby bought a mansion in West Egg across from Daisy’s home. In this mansion he threw extravagant parties every night, hoping Daisy would come to one. Unfortunately, everyone but Daisy is attracted to his parties. Gatsby's wealth allures the people, not his personality, and therefore no one bothered getting to know him. Moreover, not one guest appeared at his funeral. Similar to the boat, “the mansion… is a symbol of the man himself and his dream of materialism as a vehicle to success both literally and romantically” (Morton-Mollo). The two represented everything Jay ever wanted: success and all the fortunes in the world. Furthermore, the same concept applies to his feelings towards Daisy Fay. According to Gatsby, “her voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald, Ch. 7). His comment on Daisy’s voice proves that he is drawn in by her and her connection to