The Great Gatsby Wealth Analysis

Wealth is portrayed a great deal throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”. The narrator, Nick, observes how people react to and change their manners when they are exposed to wealth. Every character has different views on money based on how and where they grew up. Jay Gatsby, for example, views becoming rich as the way to winning over Daisy’s heart and finally being with her. He grew up on a poor farm, never experiencing wealth as a child. Because of his need to prove himself to Daisy, he gets into shady business with suspicious people. He spends many years of his life trying to become wealthy enough to get the attention of the girl of his dreams. Gatsby tries so hard to fit in, changing the way he speaks, throwing huge parties, and …show more content…
Moreover, the behavior of the people who go to Gatsby’s parties can be observed as changing due to wealth. Most of the people at his parties don’t even know who he is, but are just there because it’s “the place to be”. People go to his house just to party, and the only reason Gatsby is able to throw extravagant parties because of his great wealth. People there behave in ways they wouldn’t normally, getting extremely drunk and acting in ridiculous ways. The only reason they’re able to do this is because Gatsby is so rich (and the reason he is rich is to attract Daisy) that he is able to afford to throw lavish, wasteful parties. The people who attend Gatsby’s parties are subsequently able to act in ways they wouldn’t usually, changing their behaviors all due to his fortune. All in all, the way people alter their behavior around wealth is displayed in numerous ways during Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Various characters either change their mannerisms to gain money or just to fit in with the upper class of society. This behavior demonstrates how people behave in real life as well, as people will change their behavior around money to seem like someone they’re