Materialism in the Eggs in The Great Gatsby Essay - 997 Words

The society of the mid nineteen-twenties, as depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, is one of glamorous parties and shallow, superficial and material-based relations. East Egg is home to the more apathetic portion of New York’s elite, which cares only for their money and view the world around them as disposable. West Egg, however, is full of hardworking people who are willing to peer beyond one’s surface to discover the true potential locked within one’s self. Though both Eggs are similar in the fact that they are both very careless due to their social status, the two vary greatly when it comes to their levels of compassion towards others, as well as their morals. East Egg and West Egg, although similar in nature,†¦show more content†¦Lastly, East Egg exhibits extreme frivolity, and the inability to explore and express a deeper, more interesting meaning to the world around them. Daisy demonstrates this, firstly when she asks of the others, ‘â€Å"What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?† cried Daisy, â€Å"and the day after that, and the next thirty years?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(118), and then when she cries, saying to Gatsby that â€Å"It makes [her] sad because [she’s] never seen such beautiful shirts before.†(92). This goes to show that in East Egg, relationships are based more on what one can provide in a materialistic sense than what one can give emotionally. All in all, the East can be seen as petty and childish, with little more to them than their money and ostentatious charm. Though it is often shown in different, more thoughtful ways, West Egg still exhibits a strong preference towards the materialistic idealisms of the time in which this novel takes place. Full of the â€Å"New Money,† the West tends to be more thoughtful and cautious when it comes to how they spend their wages. Fitzgerald establishes this while talking about Nick’s cottage , juxtaposed between two massive mansions, saying, â€Å"He found the house, a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a month.†(3). This indicates that, though Nick has the funds necessary to afford a nicer place (though not necessarily in either East or West Egg), the stateliness of his home is not important to him, because the West does not base their success in life on theirShow MoreRelatedThe 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 Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby520 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is filled with symbols and symbolism, which try to convey Fitzgeralds ideas to the reader. The symbols are uniquely involved in the plot of the story, which makes their implications more real. There are three major symbols that serve very important significance in the symbolism of the novel. They are the valley of the ashes, the reality that represents the corruption in the world, the green light of Daisys lap that Gatsby sees across the bayRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1294 Words   |  6 PagesJay Gatsby: (protagonist); millionaire who throws parties; mysterious, famous, wealthy, in love with Daisy, dishonest about his past, young, motivated, subject to a lot of people’s gossip from all his gaudy parties, legendary, desperate and pathetic because of his love for Daisy, naà ¯ve, hopeful, loyal, innocent, determined, lovesick for Daisy, always calls people â€Å"old sport† Nick Carraway: (Protagonist); bond businessman, Daisy’s cousin; well-educated, honest, Midwestern, genuine, tolerant, quietRead MoreThe Representation Of The American Dream Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe Representation of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream is the dream of achieving success and opportunity, but The Great Gatsby defines the American Dream as unachievable. The characters in the novel are portrayed as the cause of corruption, materialism, and immorality within society. The novel takes place during the 1920’s, an era of prosperity. After World War One, many believed one can achieve the American Dream through any social class. In the novel, the dream is portrayedRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay1546 Words   |  7 Pagesand materialism were both taken to new and extreme heights on the eastern coast of America in the Roaring Twenties. Consumption, and especially materialism were always hallmarks of the elite upper class aristocracy of any culture in any time period, but with the new technology, urbanization, the consolidation of funds via the world stock market, and a brand new breed of elite, called millionaires, evolved the upper class culture beyond anything any human had se en before. In The Great Gatsby, F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald778 Words   |  4 PagesMidterm Essay In The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald depicts The American Dream as a positive meanwhile it gives hope those that want to follow it. The American Dream is something all Americans or incoming immigrants want to have. The Dream includes freedom, opportunities, and responsibility. The dream in its infancy starts when Gatsby relocated himself to West Egg, the dream changes for Gatsby changes when lives across the bay from Daisy, and result of the dream ends when Gatsby dies. Ultimately, JayRead MoreThe Great Gatsby: A Social Satire Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby can be regarded as a social satire and an observation of The American Dream The Great Gatsby is observed as a social satire of the United States in the roaring twenties, where Fitzgerald exposes the American Dream as a flawed fantasy merely generated by over-indulgence. America was established in the conception of equality, where any individual could have equal opportunities and success on the substratum of their abilities and effort, which can be described as the AmericanRead 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 MoreEssay about Jay Gatsby ´s American Dream in The Great Gatsby974 Words   |  4 Pageslife, nice car, large house, and the ideal family. In The Great Gatsby the main character Jay Gatsby was born into a family with no money, he had to work towards achieving the dream life he wanted. With that dream in mind; a hard working Jay becomes blinded by the luxurious and plentiful possessions that he now has. These distractions take away from what he really is searching for: love and happiness. Is the Americ an dream of materialism, wealth, love, and happiness too good to be true? Can one reallyRead MoreGreat Gatsby essay on relationships806 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Great Gatsby essay: to what extent are relationships doomed Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ is set in America of the 1920’s, a predominantly materialistic society revolving around wealth and status above all else. Fitzgerald depicts this obsession with money and luxury through complicated relationships full of trouble, infidelity and sorrow. The relationships Fitzgerald portrays all symbolize the materialism and hedonism of the age; each relationship is doomed to a certain extent