Jay Gatsbys Materialism in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott...

John D. Rockefeller once said, â€Å"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.† Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the importance of rampant materialism, excessive need for luxury and unprecedented levels of prosperity in the roaring twenties is shown through the life of Jay Gatsby. When one is asked of the 1920s, the first things that come to mind are flapper girls, jazz, the birth of mass culture, and prohibition. This was an age of dramatic social and political change with the nation’s wealth almost doubling in size. Many Americans had extra money to spend, and a new found freedom to go or do whatever they pleased. Jay Gatsby, of The Great Gatsby, was one of the many caught in the trap of desire in the 1920s. Though some freedoms expanded in the 1920s, the eighteenth amendment banned the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. Of course, while this took a toll on many Americans, others took advantage of it. The self-made Jay Gatsby’s inspiration for a new life comes from the wealthy, beautiful Daisy Buchanan whom he falls deeply in love with. Her voice â€Å"full of money† (Fitzgerald 127), drags him and from then on, he is forever hooked. At a time where a fine line was placed between the rich and the poor, Gatsby’s dream of being with her is ruined when her parents deem him unsuitable. With this in mind, Gatsby forms a new dream driven by his love for Daisy and his longing to impress her and her life of luxury.Show MoreRelatedGreat Gatsby Essay2435 Words   |  10 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ENG3U0-E 28 January 2012 Materialism in The Great Gatsby Every writer has an inspiration, whether they get inspired from their personal lives or the lives of others, nonetheless they get inspired. Inspiration is what causes others to write, it is the fundamental reasoning behind writing. F. Scott Fitzgerald is no exception. The Great Gatsby is a classic American Novel that focuses on timeless themes such as ambition, greed and finally love. F. Scott Fitzgerald was inspired by various factorsRead MoreThe Decay of American Dream in The Great Gatsby1289 Words   |  6 PagesDream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream is a worldwide known idiom and it emphasizes an ideal of a successful and happy lifestyle which is oftentimes symbolized by the phrase â€Å"from rags-to-riches†. It originated out of the ideal of equality, freedom and opportunity that is held to every American. In the last couple of decades the main idea of the American Dream has shifted to becoming a dream in which materialistic values are of a higher importance and status. The Great Gatsby is a novelRead MoreEssay about F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby1480 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Any American is taught a dream that is purged of all truth. The American Dream is shown to the world as a belief that anyone can do anything; when in reality, life is filled with impossible boundaries. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gives us a glimpse into the life of the upper class during the roaring twenties through the eyes of a moralistic young man named Nick Carraway. It is through the narrators dealings with the upper class thatRead More Materialism in The Great Gatsby Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesMaterialism may be defined as attention to or emphasis on material objects, needs or considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual values. The acquisition of material wealth is often equated with happiness in this country. This is true today, and it was true during the 1920s, the setting of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby. That the majority of Americans believe that wealth and happiness are the same is a result of our market economy that encourages consumption and conditionsRead MoreEssay on F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby968 Words   |  4 Pages The 1920s was a time of excess and growth. Economically, it was a time for great financial gain. Largely because of improvements in technology, productivity increased while overall production costs decreased, and the economy grew. Not only was this time filled with prosperity, but corruption as well. People who had previously worked day and night finally acquired leisure time. Some of the most wealthy people made the choice to fill this free time with gluttony and lust. Many authorsRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay10 65 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald The American Dream is the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to attain wealth through ones labours. On the surface, this dream seems almost enchanted, offering people the unique prospect of achieving success regardless of ones race, religion or family history. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an immortal illustration of the American Dream. Fitzgerald analyses the 1920sRead MoreViews of Entitlement in the Great Gatsby1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby as Fitzgerald’s explanation of an American Reality which contradicts the American Dream That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boys school; a poor boy in a rich mans club at Princeton.... However, I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works.   —F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters, ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. New York: Scribners, 1994. pg. 352. The Great Gatsby, by F. ScottRead MoreMaterialism - the Great Gatsby1732 Words   |  7 PagesMaterialism America has been labeled The land of opportunity, a place where it is possible to accomplish anything and everything. This state of mind is known as 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. AlthoughRead MoreFailure Of The American Dream In The Writings Of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, And August Wilson1418 Words   |  6 PagesThis literary study will define the failure of the †American Dream† in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Zora Neale Hurston, and August Wilson. Fitzgerald’s account of the Jay Gatsby s rise to fame in the 1920s defines the failure of financial success as part of the American Dream. Gatsby will eventually die due to his excessive gree d, which is not unlike the emotional death of Willy Loman as he fails to become a successful salesman in Author Miller’s Death of a Salesman. MoreRead MoreEssay about Great Gatsby862 Words   |  4 Pages F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby / Gatsbys Desire for Daisy exploring why Gatsby had such an obsessive desire for Daisy. The writer purports that Gatsby began by pursuing an ideal, not the real woman. In fact, he could not recognize the type of person she had become since they last saw each other. Gatsby lives in a dream world and Daisy is part of that dream. As the novel progresses, however, Gatsbys feelings change. Bibliography lists Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby : The Role