The Effects Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

Materialism has often led to excessive consumption and production than what is needed, which causes wastes in resources, as depicted with the luxurious lives of the characters in The Great Gatsby. For example, just in the U.S alone, “Yet, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. That is more than 20 pounds of food per person every month. Not only does this mean that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year, but also 25 percent of all freshwater and huge amounts of unnecessary chemicals, energy, and land. Moreover, almost all of that uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills where it accounts for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions,” (“Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its

This does not only apply to food, it also applies to merchandise such as cars, houses, clothes, and other material items. Many people do not need those ten sports cars in the garage of their mansion. Furthermore, “The poll found that 63% of respondents are concerned about the amount of food wasted in the United States… the respondents were shown facts about the environmental, economic and social impacts of food waste, 60% said the impacts were more than they expected. Knowing the facts, a full 73% said we should all try to make it a high priority to limit food waste,” (Leibrock). Ultimately, many people realize how much products are being wasted, and their impact on the world. Also, a large percentage of people believe something should be done to prevent how much resources are

For example, “In a capitalistic society, anyone can start a business and make decisions for that business as well as receive profits from the business… Since there is economic freedom and people can make their own choices, the government does not control or own the right to decide on production or what the price is for goods. This creates a society which can make political decisions based on what the people want, rather than what the government controls,” (“List of Pros and Cons of Capitalism”). In other words, people have the opportunity to start businesses, which can lead to the creation of more jobs, and with limited government involvement, more can be achieved for the good of society. However, this reasoning excludes the corruption that happens behind the scenes, away from the public eye, such as the unfair treatment of workers or the creation of monopolies. Monopolies have an influence on prices in the market and can make it difficult for other businesses to compete against the dominating forces, creating an unfair disadadvantage to the newcomers in the market. For instance, “Nearly daily, mass media report political corruption across the world. Government bureaucrats, from local to national to international, are exposed for having abused their offices for personal gain. That gain is usually financial, but can involve career advancement. Much of that corruption is driven and financed by capitalist