Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

A man is lost in the Sahara desert. He has been walking for days after his camels have died of dehydration. His clothes are tattered and dirty. He walks and walks, searching for water. At last, he looks out towards the horizon and sees the twinkling reflection of water; it seems like a huge body of water, a pond of some sort. Tired and dehydrated, the tattered man breaks into a sprint as he runs towards this lifesaver; however, as he keeps on walking, the water seems to always be out of his reach. The water is fake, a mirage. Likewise, the American Dream always promises a better life, yet it is just a false allusion that is bound to lead you astray. In Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, the theme of the American dream is shown vividly and clearly.

As displayed early in the novel, both Gatsby and Tom, the most prominent wealthy figures in the story flaunt their wealth and affluence through lavish parties with alcohol and drunken dancing. Through these parties and excessive materialism, Fitzgerald reveals the true nature of many wealthy and powerful people. As one of Gatsby’s parties progresses, many of these “noble” people from either West or East egg didn’t look dignified at all. “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands” (Fitzgerald 51). Alcohol is a way for people to express themselves honestly, and it revealed that the rich and comfortable are not always happy or content, as there is much corruption involved with money. Corruption then leads to destruction as the rich create this false impression that they can change anything with money. This is seen in Gatsby as he fails to court Daisy as Nick tells Gatsby that he cannot relive the past, Gatsby replies, “Why of course you can!” (Fitzgerald 110). Also when Nick reflects on his journey to the East and the characters he met, he states solemnly, “Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money” (Fitzgerald 179). As seen in the Great Gatsby, those who attain this American dream end up leave behind a trail of

Gatsby’s dream was to marry his lover Daisy. However his dream went south as Daisy broke her promise of marrying Gatsby when he returned from war. Gatsby was so bent on attaining Daisy; one could say that he was obsessive or crazy. Dreamers should not end up crazy. When rejected by Daisy, Gatsby responded by watching her and Tom overnight, “I waited, and about four o’clock she came to the window and stood there for a minute and then turned out the light” (Fitzgerald 147). Gatsby’s actions can be compared to those of creepers and stalkers. Ultimately, Gatsby’s love for Daisy, his dream, lead him to talk the bullet for Daisy, as it was Daisy who was driving the yellow car, not Gatsby. Myrtle, unlike Gatsby was not rich, but her American Dream was to attain wealth and material possessions. Myrtle’s dream led her to have an affair with Tom, which caught her into all the drama and danger that the affluent were involved in. All these factors lead to her death. As seen through the obsessive and crazy actions of Gatsby and Myrtle, the American dream is like bait that lures unsuspecting dreamers to false hopes that later end in tragedy. The deaths of Myrtle and