1. Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby
The unappealing truth behind the glamorous façade of the American Dream is revealed in the
corruption of the hopes and dreams of the green light, thus caused by flagrant materialism and
desire which is shown through Gatsby's yellow car and lavish parties. As an avid dreamer who
reinvented himself through achieving success and wealth, Gatsby "believed in the green light, the
orgastic future that year by year recedes before us" and sets an example to all those who dream,
that they "... will run faster, stretch out [their] farms farther. . . ." and "beat on, boats against the
current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). The color green, associated with
emotional healing and vitality, represents Gatsby's lifelong hope and dream,
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2. Materialism
Materialism
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. Although "The American Dream" can be thought of as a positive
motivation, it often causes people to strive for material perfection, rather than a spiritual one. This has
...show more content...
Fitzgerald uses the word grail to suggest that for Gatsby, marrying Daisy is a type of a religious
quest. Yet, truthfully, Daisy herself is not the key, but the increase in status that she would bring
him and the illusion that she carries with her. "He had thrown himself into it [the dream] decking it
out with every bright feather that drifted his way" (101). Gatsby is much more in love with
the idea of Daisy, not the reality of who she is. He wants everything she has and stands for. Gatsby
wastes his entire adult life trying to achieve this idealistic dream.
Indeed he loves Daisy, but through his fantasy he builds her up to be someone she is not. Lost in
his idealistic world, he molds his images of her into a perfect specimen. Nick Carraway comments,
"There must have been moments when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams, not through her
own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion", yet he refuses to acknowledge
these moments" (101). His state of reality is so greatly altered that he cannot believe she is
not the absolute perfect woman he so desired five years ago. Jay Gatsby's obsession with Daisy
gives him a false illusion of her, much like the illusion of the American dream, both representing
inevitable disaster. F. Scott Fitzgerald clearly uses Jay Gatsby to represent the materialistic attitude
of the 1920's. Literary critic Marius Bewley suggests that Jay Gatsby
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3. Historical Materialism : Karl Marx Essay
HISTORICAL MATERIALISM
Karl Marx, all through his life has been influenced by several philosophers. One of the most
influential of them all was a German philosopher called Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; We can
clearly see that by looking at Mar's early writings. Marx's concept of historical materialism evolved
from Hegel's concept of trend in world history and Marx's criticism on the presence of religion and
idealism in Hegel's philosophies.
According to Hegel a person is not a human being without their ability to think and it is the
application of those thoughts/reasons that form history. Furthermore, he says. "the spirit must create
for itself a nature and world to conform with its own nature, so that the subject may discover its own
concept of the spirit in this second nature, ....it becomes conscious of its subjective freedom and
rationality." It is the thoughts or the world spirit that self–actualizes itself into the human society and
creates world history. Humans unconsciously are nothing but a tool of world spirit. The world spirit,
like a parent, shows humans thepath and controls their action thereby creating history. For Hegel
everything starts from an abstract, imaginary spirit. The world history is governed by the action of
thought or the world spirit.
In 1943 Marx wrote the "Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right: Introduction."
In that unlike Hegel, Marx took a bottom to top approach. He focused on the real subjects rather than
the
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4. Essay On American Materialism
MATERILAISM
The modern day plague of materialism and over consumption is straining our personal lives and
families, eroding our communities, and destroying the environment. brought on by the impact of
media, it affects all aspects of your life, buying habits even who you vote for. According to the
movie about Affluenza, materialism is a tendency to consider material possessions and physical
comfort as more important than any spiritual values. Also according to google research the word
materialism has been used in modern times to refer to was a family of metaphysical theories, "that
can be best defined by saying that a theory tends to be called materialist if it is felt sufficiently to
resemble a paradigmatic theory that will have be called mechanical materialism" ( Encycloped
Britannica materialism philosophy). Materialism often carries negative idea and is frequently
applied to people who believe buying things or owning wealth will make them...show more content...
"They have undermined any personal responsibility by claiming that thought is dictated
biologically and by environment. A materialistic society can be especially effective if it is a
governmental tenet as well" according to the movie (Affluenza). The American materialism began
over two hundred years ago. "Growing as the grassy weeds do among the early shoots of wheat.
Just as months must pass before one can clearly see the fruitful difference between the two, so
many decades of US history separate that nation's causes of wealth from its enjoyment of it" (
Chapter 2 of what is materialism). "Materialism can take a toll on your well–being, relationships and
quality of life. "Compared with their grandparents, today's young adults have grown up with much
more affluence, slightly less happiness and much greater risk of depression and assorted social
pathology," David G. Myers, author of The American Paradox" (
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5. Materialism in Today's Society Essay
Materialism in Today's Society
Have you ever sat down and really thought about how much you value your possessions? Do you
value your belongings more than you value friends, family, love, or yourself? The truth is that
obsession with possessions has become a way of life in today's society.
Materialism has been defined as the theory or doctrine that physical well–being and worldly
possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life. (Heritage Dictionary, 3rd ed.)
This means that we look to possessions to bring us happiness. We then use these possessions to
make things and people behave or respond the way we desire. We have become so successful at
fabricating and manipulating the world that we have come to believe that...show more content...
They often draw in the consumers with a catchy commercial that contains a celebrity or model
sporting their brand. This is a sure bet way to get the consumers? attention!
Materialism in Today?s Society 4
Many celebrities promote products without that intention. This is because young people who idolize
these famous stars want to wear what they wear.Therefore, this leads to free advertising for these
corporations. One such group was the rap group Run–DMC. This group frequently wore the Adidas
brand. They liked the brand so much that they wrote a song called ?My Adidas.? (Klein 456).This
song led Adidas to become a very popular brand and people all over the United States started
wearing the brand. Many people are brand ?hogs? and pursue what ever brand is in style. If a
celebrity is wearing a new brand, it can be assured that at least one person will mimic them.This is
especially true when the aspect comes to teens. Sharon Beder stated, ?In 2000 alone, teens spent
$155 billion on things like clothing, CDs and makeup.? (Boston 2).
In fact, the younger population has become so infatuated with celebrities that they have begun
getting plastic surgery to try to look like their favorite celebrities. Two million young people had
plastic surgery in 2003 alone (MTV, I Want a Famous Face).
Since 1997, there
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6. Essay on Cultural Materialism
When it comes to anthropological theory the combination of several established ways of thought
often result in a completely new and independent way of thinking. Cultural Materialism is one of
these children theories that resulted from a coming together of social evolutionary theory, cultural
ecology and Marxist materialism (Barfield). The goal of cultural materialism is to explain politics,
economics, ideology and symbolic aspects of a culture with relation to the needs of that society.
From a cultural materialist point of view society is indisputably shaped by the factors of production
and reproduction. From this all other facets of society, such as government and religion, must be
beneficial to that society's ability to satisfy the...show more content...
However, cultural materialism and its more scientific approach has brought criticism from other
schools of thought who feel that cultural materialism is too simple and straight forward and
completely disregards the thoughts and behaviors of a society, an aspect most feel is imperative to
understanding culture change. By not relying of native explanations of cultural events cultural
materialism has pushed the field of anthropology to become more scientific. This in turn may help
anthropology to be known more as a hard science rather than a soft science.
Marvin Harris primarily laid the framework for the creation of the cultural materialistic point of
view. He has written many works employing his cultural materialistic study pattern. He garnered
just as much praise as he did criticism from his peers for works, which is incredible when the fact
that his first book almost alienated many who held other view points. His work in India dealing with
the sacred cow myth is considered to be his most successful application of cultural materialism.
Cultural materialism is a relatively young school of thought and there are several up and coming
anthropologists who subscribe to this point of view and are applying it to many different areas of
various different cultures. Brian Fergusson of Rutgers
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7. Materialism vs Happiness in America Essay
Western society has an obsession. It is a dark and crippling fixation. Many people do not even realize
the trap society has lured them into. The procurement of material wealth has become an obsession in
modern Western culture. The culture has become obsessed with acquiring vast amounts of wealth
and anything associated with "being wealthy". This need for material objects has intensified
overtime. The progression of materialism in the western world has caused a decrease in the happiness
and overall well–being of the people that reside in the society.
Materialism as defined by Merriam–Webster dictionary is "a doctrine that the only or the highest
values or objectives lie in material well–being and in the furtherance of material...show more
content...
Their desire for gold led them to a new world. Materialism can drive humans to do great things.
However, there are times when it has driven human beings toward the path of their own destruction.
There are not many noteworthy spans of history where human's materialistic have values
diminished. When events that reduced materialism occurred it was usually the result natural
disasters or caused by human folly. One of the best examples human follies would be the Housing
crash of 2008. The main cause of the crash was the failure of the stock market; which is the perfect
illustration of materialism. The quest to amass ever higher profits, led to an unstable system that
failed and brought millions of people down with it. Materialism, in this case, drove individuals onto
a path that served good only to a few, but harmed millions.
As long as humans have existed, there has been greed. It is only recently that scientist have realized
the negative effects it has had on individuals. The study of materialism has provided varied results.
But the most intriguing views state that materialism is increasing and that it does have an effect on
the happiness and well–being of individuals. Studies have shown that materialism lead's to mental
health problems, as well.
In modern times it scientist have shown that materialism is rising. Since the 1950's materialism had
been on the rise. Richard
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8. Materialism and Greed Essay
Materialism: Can it make you Happy?
Can Greed and Materialism lead to true happiness? "Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed works and
greed will save the USA." (Wall Street) "Cause we are living in a material world and I am a material
girl" a theme in one of Madonna's most famous songs.
Greed and materialism stand in apposition to any manifestation of true happiness. People are under a
false perception that money will solve all of their problems and as a result bring them their utmost
joy and happiness. Many psychologists, philosophers, and religious figures throughout the ages have
refuted this assertion. People in American society take money very seriously because it can either
make or break your life choices. In order to fit in...show more content...
We rely on money, if all the money in the world disappeared tomorrow the world, as we know it
would collapse. Everything is connected to money in some way. Everything essentially has a price
tag on it if your pocket is fat enough. This is what makes money extremely appealing. But money
shouldn't be the driving force that motivates people to be successful and wealthy. People should be
driven by pride, integrity, and happiness.
Materialism also is the standards that other people see that we think we have to live by. As
Webster's Dictionary state, materialism is a theory that physical matter is only fundamental reality.
Americans are very materialistic, because our society is so materialistic, people can be hurt, and
ashamed of how they dress. Materialism in our society can also be costly. We are very concerned
with different name brands such as Polo, Tommy, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Baby Phat, Gucci, Nike,
Adidas and the list goes on. We see the different stars on television, in movies, commercials, and
magazines or on stages. Whether they are actors, actress, singers, models we all look at the clothing
they wear and think that this is what must be fashionable acceptable in our society.
While money can clearly feed the best parts of the human experience, obviously, this is not always
the case. Just what is it about this stuff that we call "money"? In all appearances, we can't live with
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9. Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby
"'I'm glad it's a girl and I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a
beautiful little fool'". This is a very vivid quote written by F. Scott Fitzgerald that helps identify one
of the many themes in his book The Great Gatsby. This specific quote speaks of the topic I will be
addressing which is money and materialism. This theme takes shape and form in many different
ways and through different people throughout the book, and is shown through Fitzgerald's characters
Myrtle, Daisy, and Tom.
Myrtle is truly driven by money and materialism because she is unhappy with her marriage. She
sees money which in this case is symbolized by Tom as her way out of her unhappy life. Myrtle is
so strongly affected by money and materialism that she puts on a different persona when she is
around Tom and the more elevated class. "The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the
garage was converted into impressive hauteur", This quote states that her personality in the garage
was very full of energy and was now replaced with a disdainful pride. This continues throughout the
novel to the point where Myrtles materistalic values cause her to stomach Tom's abuse. "Making a
short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand". In this quote Myrtle is
drunk and yelling Daisy's name, which Tom (also drunk) takes such offence to that he results to
violence. The second character representation of money and materialism in the novel The Great
Gatsby is shown through Daisy Buchanan. This is not only shown through the quote that began
this essay in which she stated that she hoped her daughter will be beautiful fool, but also through
the flashback into her wedding day with Tom. "'I'm glad it's a girl and I hope she'll be a fool – that's
the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool'". This quote represents the theme
materialism and money because Daisy recognizes that she is miserable by saying that she hopes
that her daughter is a beautiful fool because then she will be too ignorant to see that her life's in
ruins (as Daisy's is) and that all she will see is the money that can give her comfort. This quote also
shows that Daisy will not leave Tom even after she
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10. Essay On Materialism In America
Materialism in America is probably at its peak with all the advances in technology. Accordingly, the
country has lost all its fundamental meanings that many have risk their lives for. The American
dream is practically dead as it has been infected by gadgets. Too many citizens have been blinded by
the curtain, as mentioned by Lunberg, as they see no point to go beyond it, an unknown life without
technological devices. This modern culture is so emphasized that a once foreigner of America,
Shanzeh Khurram, knew how significant brand name materials were to Americans only after a
month stay in the states. Her declarations of American culture have a higher meaning than an
American citizen since she was not born into this kind of culture. When an...show more content...
The federal government must make appropriate budget cuts to somehow maintain a deteriorating
economy. Thankfully, Obama has had two terms to save America from complete bankruptcy. Then
again, Americans continue to live materialistic lives so who knows how long the country's economy
will thrive. The strength of materialism is so grand that it weakens an individual's well–being. The
beauty industry has, sadly, a heavy influence on Americans. It is the belief of what was not an
insecurity before, is now, can be solved with a simple personal care product. That product can have
serious effects on the user's health but many are blind to the repercussions, because of how
convincing the advertisement was in the first place since they bought they bought they product. All
in all, materialism exists till this day and mostly likely many years from now since it is formatted
as a cycle. The cycle that repeats with more damage to one's well–being with every made purchase.
This lessens the value of a human life to the accumulation of stuff. Many compete in this competition
to own the most things, to have the biggest size of everything they can, and it leaves you with
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11. Materialism in The Great Gatsby Essay
Materialism 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 1920's, the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The GreatGatsby. That the
majority of Americans believe that wealth and happiness are the same is a result of our market
economy that encourages consumption and conditions us to think that we need material possessions
to be happy. According to Andrew Bard Schmookler, "Wealth and human fulfillment have become
equated in the predominant ideology of liberal society, even though the great spiritual teachers of
...show more content...
. . Their need for meaning is just as intense
as their need for economic security."
Jay Gatsby had all the trappings of wealth: a huge mansion, fancy clothes, and expensive cars. His
lavish, decadent parties were designed to impress Daisy. But why did Gatsby feel he needed to
flaunt his material wealth to win Daisy's love? Why was he so materialistic, and why are we? Are
material possessions what we need to be happy? Part of the answer is that people "seek in material
possessions fulfillment that is lacking in other areas, especially human relationships" (Schmookler,
18). The very fact that our market society feeds on economic growth like a fetish is a clue that
excess consumption does not really satisfy. It is like an addiction. We can never have enough. A
famous study done in the early 1970's by Richard Easterlin, entitled "Does Economic Growth
Improve the Human Lot?" found that "members of wealthy societies do not seem happier than
members of poor societies (119)." Perhaps they are more connected in their interpersonal
relationships.
Our material yearnings are an attempt to satisfy the need for human relationships. Anthropologist
Ashley Montagu had an important observation about childrearing in capitalistic cultures: that "few
peoples give their babies as little tactile contact as do Americans, especially as compared with
"poorer" societies (p )." The characters of The Great Gatsby
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12. Essay On Materialism By Peter Singer
Peter Singer states that "our ordinary patterns of spending money on ourselves are immoral."; but
my response to this is that, as human beings we don't know any better. Consumerism is the trap that
holds us dear and truthfully never lets go. If we see something we enjoy, if it adds a level of
comfortability, or gives us the slightly rush of adrenaline; we must acquire it. We thrive off
materialism items, although most aren't necessary needed to live a wholesome life. I believe all you
ultimately need is food, water, shelter, and clothing. I'm not including education, healthcare, or
anything that follows along these lines. I'm not saying that spending money on materialism items
such as makeup is a terrible thing, but it shouldn't be the first
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13. Materialism In The Great Gatsby Essay
Jasmine Reyes
College Preparatory English II
Lelinski
November 28, 2017
Nick states that, in some ways, this story is of the West even though it has taken place entirely on
the East Coast. Nick, Jordan, Tom, and Daisy are all from west, and Nick believes that the reactions
of each, book character,himself included, to living the fast–paced, lurid lifestyle of the East has
shaped his or her behavior. Nick thinks of America not just as a nation but as a geographical entity,
land with distinct regions embodying contrasting sets of values. The Midwest, Nick believes, seems
dreary and unremarkable compared to the excitement of the East. But the East is merely a glittering
surface, it lacks the moral center of the Midwest. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, is truly a
story of the west as it illustrates how West Egg fails to lead to the achievement of TheAmerican
Dream, which in the book was dreamt greatly by Gatsby, and subsequently shows how this world's
materialism is ruining it entirely.
This fundamental moral corruption dooms the characters of The Great Gatsby, all Westerners, as
Nick observes, to failure. The "quality of distortion" that lures them to the East revolts Nick and
contributes to his decision to move back to Minnesota. There is another significance to the fact that
all of the major characters are Westerners. Throughout American history, the West has been seen as a
land of promise and possibility, the very emblem of American ideals. Gatsby, alone
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14. Role Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The protagonist in the novel, Jay
Gatsby, is eager to charm his young love, Daisy Fay, in hopes for a future marriage and life
together. Making the situation difficult to achieve, Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan primarily
because of his inherited wealth. Throughout the novel, the reader understands Jay Gatsby's undying
love for Daisy Buchanan and his appeal to win her over with his possessions. Gatsby's character
plays an important role in order to convey a central message to the reader about materialism. In the
novel, the author utilizes the theme of obsession of materialistic values over emotional depths to
showcase Jay Gatsby through his prides, possessions, and desires. The character Jay Gatsby
exemplifies the subject of obsession of consumeristic possessions through his adored chattels. Gatsby
is ostentatious in his materialistic values which makes him appear superior. When given the
opportunity, Gatsby will point out the valuables which give him delight. For example he says, "'It's
pretty, isn't it, old sport'"(Fitzgerald 64)....show more content...
When Gatsby is reaching for the green light, he is reaching to a new greater life than the one he is
living. His plan on achieving this dream is to win Daisy over. Although Gatsby claims he wants
Daisy's love, his overall aspiration is to inherit her wealth and her status within society. Gatsby's
persistency to reach this higher life is evident when Daisy says, "Oh, you want too much!...I love
you now–isn't that enough?"(Fitzgerald 132). Even though Daisy leaves and Gatsby's dream is
over, "[h]e [is] clutching at some last hope"(Fitzgerald 148). This reveals Gatsby's internal conflict
for he is struggling with the idea of having Daisy and losing her all at once. He also thinks there is
still a chance for her to change her mind, so he can receive her riches and social
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15. Rough Draft
The 1920's were roaring. Throughout this time period, wealth in the United States doubled, leaving
room for growth in an economic forum. This caused many Americans to move into the uncharted
territory of the city, and make the transition into a prosperous and foreign "consumer society"
(History.com). In addition, the traits of greed and materialism are ubiquitous in The Great Gatsby, as
well as in the flashy 1920's. These two characteristics give one confidence, but as demonstrated in the
novel, it brings nothing but short–term satisfaction. After that, feelings of desperation to childish
behaviors can accompany it. These two features have the power to seem favorable, as they serve as
a temporary distraction, bringing an...show more content...
Gatsby fundamentally felt the same way as Daisy did with regard to emptiness with his
unreciprocated love for her strongly illustrating it. His greed and materialism blinded him from
moving forward with his life while keeping him from living the life he wanted. These emblematic
features have the power to change a character's psyche. Daisy had no real purpose and was
floating, simply being Tom's wife. She was not confident in saying that she loved him in the
novel, which leads readers to believe that Daisy married Tom Buchanan primarily for monetary
reasons. "Daisy represents something of the emptiness of life for the many women of that era
who really had no role of their own" ( McCay). Gatsby wasted so much of his life yearning for
Daisy and the things that she had. Gatsby knew Daisy was unattainable, yet he spent his whole life
attempting to pursue something that never prospered. "Although Gatsby has faith in his reunion
with Daisy, it is apparent that his hopes will never materialize" (Sanders). According to Nick,
Gatsby felt "married to her" because he resigned himself to his love for Daisy, making his love
singular and eternal" (Sanders). These traits cause characters in The Great Gatsby act adolescently
and childish. Tom and Daisy are the most guilty of behaving childish because of the way that they
ran off when problems arose. The couple refused to sort out the
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16. Materialism in Society Essay
It is human nature for people to desire material possessions. Our material yearnings are an attempt
to satisfy are need to special and wanted. In a world where most of society defines "socially
acceptable" as the material possessions one owns such as, the latest clothing, the biggest house, or
the fastest car one comes to believe that you need all of these things to be viewed as a part of
society. For many, work has taken over community life and has had a major effect on happiness.
Advertising has also become a primary determinant of our satisfaction, and is only a small part of a
larger materialistic culture in which we are not only enticed customers but also prominent
consumers. We have been beguiled into believing that material...show more content...
Some of the possessions I have show me for what I want to be, but not for who I really am. My cell
phone, for instance, describes me in many ways. It shows that I am very talkative, professional,
can afford expensive phones and accessories, and that I like to stay in touch with family and
friends. I have come to rely heavily on my cell phone and I just recently up–graded from a Razor to
the new Envy phone from Verizon. I got the up–grade even though my razor was in perfect condition
and barely a year–old. It still amazes me how I just had to have this phone. I saw the commercial
advertizing it as the latest and best phone out. It displayed all of the new features that came with
the phone and the new billing plans that came exclusively with this phone. I wanted to be one of
the first to own it so I went that same day and paid an extremely high fee to up–grade my phone and
my billing plan. I was so happy that I bought a clear, plastic, hard shell case and the most expensive
Bluetooth Verizon had.
However, my car on the other hand describes my adventurous and outgoing personality. I like to
travel to different places and for people to see and admire my car. I want people to view my car and
wonder who is driving that. I want to be the guy that advertisers display, the one who gets the really
attractive model, the sex appeal, and the overall swagger. I have found that I am a showoff and I
really don't like it.
Having come to college I
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17. Essay on Materialism in the Great Gatsby
"Money Changes Everything" by Cyndi Lauper illustrates the way people center their desires on
material things such as money. The speaker in the song leaves the poor man, solely because he does
not have money, for the affluent one: "I'm leaving you tonight...There was one thing we weren't
really thinking of and that's money" (Lauper 1, 6–7). Like Cyndi Lauper, F. Scott Fitzgerald
demonstrates the way people often center their desires on material things such as money in The Great
Gatsby. Daisy falls in love with Gatsby, who is a poor man at the time, and when Gatsby leaves for
the war, Daisy marries Tom Buchanan, who is a rich man, because he is "old money," meaning he
will always have the money and status to support Daisy. When Gatsby returns...show more content...
Daisy's materialism is revealed when she allows money to influence her decisions, and her life
becomes a mess because of it, which is what Fitzgerald tries to teach to his audience.
Gatsby's love for Daisy propels his materialism, which leads to his ultimate downfall. Gatsby uses
his words and specious actions to prove to Daisy that he is rich so she will love him by giving
Daisy a tour of his house. Exploring Gatsby's house is when Gatsby is careful to point out to Daisy
his lavish possessions that are present in his many extravagant rooms: "We went upstairs, through
period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers, through
dressing–rooms and poolrooms, and bathrooms, with sunken baths" (91). After strolling through
Gatsby's house, Gatsby takes Daisy up to his closet and begins to boast about his expensive
clothes so that Daisy realizes that Gatsby is rich, and, "He took out a pile of shirts, and began
throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which
lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many–colored disarray" (92). Daisy's desire and
obsession with materialistic things is also evident because after she sees all of these shirts, she
begins crying because of
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18. Materialism
Materialism 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. Although "The American Dream" can be thought of as a positive motivation, it often
causes people to strive for material perfection, rather than a spiritual one. This has been a truth since
the beginnings of America, such as the setting of F. Scott...show more content...
But the more important question that faces us through our sense of the immediate tragedy is
where (these deficiencies) have brought America". This state of perfection that people so
desperately want to achieve is the very reason why American society is dysfunctional. People are
blinded by this hopeful result of their lives, they allow the present to escape their grasp.
Fitzgerald introduces a place by the name of "The Valley of Ashes". It is a depressing locality far
away from the glamour and wealth of the East and West Eggs. This dumping ground is half way
between West Egg and New York. The Valley of Ashes is a symbol of the empty existence of a low
society. Fitzgerald uses this slum as an example of the failure of the American Dream. He criticizes
the corruption of the American dream. What was once for Thomas Jefferson–a belief in self–reliance
and hard work, has become what Nick Carraway calls "The service of a cast, vulgar, and
meretricious beauty" (180). This energy might have gone into the pursuit of morale and self worth,
rather than materialism and shallow fortunes. Things like love and relating to another human being
is completely overlooked in the pursuit of power and a very showy, but fundamentally empty form
of success. All the characters in this novel are caught up in materialism except for one, Nick
Carraway, the narrator and the observer. Nick sees all the evil that goes on, and it
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19. Materialism Personal Statement
As a child, I've always understood the world as a place where people desire upward mobility and
considered material wealth as happiness. Although I do not consider myself a materialistic person,
my perception has been shaped by several tribulations where material has affected my personal
relationships. My own philosophy is that I live by is to explore the things that you're scare of and to
challenge the unknown. Without exploring our fears, I think that we wouldn't be able to expand our
own perception of the truth and surroundings. In my opinion, our fears hold metaphors and
significant meanings that we repress and are frightened to face. In fact, they may reveal important
truths, which from acknowledging it, may lead one to live a more fulfilling
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