Greed and Wealth in the Characters of The Great Gatsby by...

In today’s society, people are judged by their values or are frightened to take sacrifices to better benefit their lifestyle. Characters like Gatsby, Tom, Daisy and Myrtle are shown as evidence of greed and how wealth surrounds their values. Fitzgerald uses social commentary to offer a glance of an American life in the 1920s. He carefully sets up his novel into distinct groups, but in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving powerful ideas for readers to adapt(add morals characters inhabit). By creating distinct social classes, old money, new money, and no money, Fitzgerald sends strong messages about the elitism running throughout every perspective of society. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays characters like Nick,†¦show more content†¦The new money people cannot be like them, and in many ways that works in their favor — those in societys highest levels are not nice people at all. They are judgmental and shallow, failing to look at the esse nce of the people around them (and themselves, too). Instead, they live their lives in such a way as to preserve their sense of superiority. The people with newly acquired wealth, like Gatsby’s party people, arent necessarily much better. They attend his parties, drink his liquor, and eat his food, never once taking the time to even meet their host (they don’t even bother to wait for an invitation, they just show up). When Gatsby dies, all the people who frequented his house every week mysteriously became busy elsewhere, abandoning Gatsby when he could no longer do anything for them. One would like to think the newly wealthy would be more sensitive to the world around them. As Fitzgerald shows, however, their concerns are largely living for the moment. Just as he did with people of money, Fitzgerald uses the people with no money to convey a strong message. Nick, although he comes from a family with a bit of wealth, doesnt have nearly the capital of Gatsby or Tom. In th e end, though, he shows himself to be an honorable and principled man, which is more than Tom behavior. Myrtle, though, is another story. She comes from the middle class at best. She isShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby : An American Nightmare1226 Words   |  5 PagesAlex Joo Mr. Shaffer ENG4U1 January 8th, 2015 The Great Gatsby: an American Nightmare At the end of the day everyone ends up in the same place—six feet under. By then, many end up having lived fulfilling lives and die with no regrets. Far too many do not. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents the issue in pursuing the impossible: the American Dream. A dream in which all are â€Å"able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable† (Adams 215). Unfortunately, the latterRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead 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 MoreAnalysis Of F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Roaring Twenties 910 Words   |  4 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald—â€Å"one of the most celebrated writers of all times†. (Mini Bio)Through his novels or short stories, he was able to reveal the secrets of himself that carried out his destiny. The â€Å"Roaring Twenties† were surrounded by luxurious lifestyles that a small town boy could only dream of. Fitzgerald recognized this and craved that lifestyle and when he came upon it, he realized it was not all that he had dreamed it would be, for wealth was not the problem solver. Francis Scott Key FitzgeraldRead MoreLiterature Review: The Great Gatsby Essay860 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is by far one of the most interesting yet congested books I have ever read. I feel as if the story is shifting as soon as I was able to tell what was happening. One idea that was constant was the themes, symbols and motifs used throughout. Love and the seduction of money, to me, were the most influential themes that I noticed in the book. Instead of picking them apart I would like to combine them. They worked inRead 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 greed, 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 MoreBetrayal in the Great Gatsby Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesBetrayal in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"The Great Gatsby† The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It is recognized as the â€Å"Great American Novel† as it shows great wealth, partying, jazz music and many other aspects of the â€Å"American Dream†. In his novel, he displays a lot of symbols, and themes including wealth, greed, and the most vivid, betrayal. Betrayal can upset many people and ruin many people. Betrayal was demonstrated throughout the entire novel with a lot of connectionsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby891 Words   |  4 Pagesimmense joy, opportunity and prosperity. Unfortunately, the 1920’s was also a period where greed, corruption and organized crime took a firm foothold. The exuberant happiness of the time was only trumped by its gap between the rich and the poor. The novel shows the true face of the so-called Age of Wonderful Nonsense with the writer’s own personal conflict. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s groundbreaking novel The Great Gatsby has stood the test of time w ith its messages of how corruption, extravagance, and overindulgenceRead MoreThe American Dream Through The Eyes Of F. Scott Fitzgerald1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream Through the Eyes of F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby has been criticized, cited, and known as one of the greatest works of American Literature. With numerous themes and focuses, one of the most valuable is represented in the American Dream and how F. Scott Fitzgerald analyzes his idea of this concept. The American Dream is a concept centering on successes in many terms, such as wealth and social standing. These successes are achieved through hardRead MoreAn Interview with F. Scott Fitzgerald964 Words   |  4 PagesDailyTimes Newspaper F Scott Fitzgerald has been one of the most recognizable authors out there today. Many people admire his work, but he’s hard to catch and follow due to his busy schedule and personal lifestyle being an alcoholic. On the 19th of November 1925 I was given a chance to meet up with F. Scott Fitzgerald, to discuss about the eminent novel written by him â€Å"The Great Gatsby† at his house in Los Angeles. The books about a poor turned wealthy man, Gatsby and his attempt on getting his