How Did F Scott Fitzgerald Use Materialism In The Great Gatsby

Hammurabi’s code was unfair to women. As it states in law 148 document C, if a wife of a man has a disease and her husband is determined to marry a second wife, he will marry her. However, he will not divorce his first wife. She will live in the house they had built together and he will maintain her as long as she lives. This law is unfair to the first wife because if her husband really loved her he would not marry a second wife.

Gatsby himself realizes Daisy’s obsession with money: “‘She never loved you, do you hear?’ he cried. ‘She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me’” (Fitzgerald 130). The quote reveals

Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, similar themes from A Raisin in the Sun are presented in the sense that each character has his or her own American Dream due to his or her varying socioeconomic status. Originally, Gatsby had a poor socioeconomic status, which motivated him to increase his status with a lavish, over-the-top American Dream in order to please Daisy. When Gatsby confronts Tom, promising that Daisy never truly loved Tom in the first place, Gatsby uses his wealth as a factor as to why she married Tom: “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (Fitzgerald 130). This proves that Gatsby was motivated by Daisy’s desire for wealth to justify his lurid American Dream. Daisy, on the other hand, was quite the opposite.

Walker’s abusive actions reveal her controlling nature and motivations. She yearns for power over others as “…she urged her husband to comply with the black man’s terms and secure what would make them wealthy for life.” (Irving, 2010, p. 233) Mrs. Walker also craves jurisdiction over money, as she takes their valuables as a sort of insurance.

The Great Gatsby, told by both F. Scott Fitzgerald and Luhrmann in the original text and the movie, is a scathing criticism of the wealth and corruption of the upper class in the 1920s. By using gold and silver, both men illustrate the detrimental effects of the amount of money and power possessed by these people. Culminating in the character of Daisy Buchanan, these criticisms offer an important reminder that what is commonly accepted as the most desirable lifestyle is very likely to destroy the people trying to survive in

Once Bub is arrested Lutie begins to think about what circumstances led to his arrest. Lutie arrives at the conclusion that it is because white people do not give jobs that “paid enough for them to support their families,” which is another example of the racism that leads to the poverty blacks live in(388). The white Chandlers often talked about becoming rich and how America is the best country to make it rich in, which led to Lutie’s obsession with getting out of poverty. However, after the officers inform her of Bub’s arrest, Lutie thinks to herself “you forgot you were black,” meaning that while white people can make it big and get rich black people often could not because life did not give black people the same opportunities as white people(389). Suddenly, while Lutie is walking to visit Bub at the Children’s Center she observes the nice houses in the neighborhood and wonders about how white people can live wherever they want as long as they can pay the rent, but colored people could only live at“a

“America was give-and-take. You gave up a lot but you gained a lot, too,” the uncle claims. When Akunna pushes him away after he grabs her, the uncle attempts to rationalize the sexual assault by reminding her of the “give-and-take” of America, claiming that “smart women did it all the time” in order to secure high-paying jobs. He does not explain what “it” is that smart women “do,” but his actions clearly indicate that he expects sexual favors from Akunna in exchange for housing. Despite American values of white supremacy that oppress him, such as the racist neighbors who suspect he eats the neighborhood squirrels, the uncle takes advantage of his relative gendered power over Akunna.

Corporate greedy and corrupt politicians were specific problems and injustices that were present in American life during the late 1800s and early 1900s however these were addressed during the progressive era with laws and regulations. Throughout the gilded era corrupt politicians and corporate greedy allowed the upper class and businessmen to take advantage of the working class. This means that a majority of the population were hurt during the gilded age whereas a small percentage benefitted. As seen in document 1, living conditions were crowded, dirty, and unsafe.

Walter wants to be free from the family’s low income lifestyle, and becoming rich is Walter’s extrinsic motivation to live. Mama said to Walter, “Son-how come you talk so much ‘bout money?” Walter responded with immense passion, “Because it is life, Mama!” Walter looks at life, and like a bride sees through her wedding vail, Walter sees through money lenses. He sees his father’s money as a possibility in a world that revolves around a minimal supply of money.

In a place where equality doesn’t exist, women become objects that men trade around for their own benefit. Women are valued according to the wealth they inherit from their “ previous owners,” their fathers. They are disrespected and treated mercilessly, with their beauty and their personality simply being the auxiliaries that profit their owners. In the play, The Taming of the Shrew, marriages are arranged like trading possessions, where women are married off with no rights and are supposed to remain loyal to their owners. Unfortunately, due to the discrimination against women, they are forced to become men’s property.

The government let African Americans fall behind economically, educationally, and socially, all while building up whites and helping them achieve everything. The fact that African American and women veterans were excluded from the benefits of the GI Bill angers me. They risked their lives just as much as the white men did, they participated in helping their country just as much, and yet because they are not seen as the “desirable” person, they are left in the dust and then accused of being “lazy”. And it is sad because things like this still go on today: gender and race differences when it comes to pay, job exclusion if a person’s name isn’t “white” enough, sexual harassment in the workplace, rape victims being blamed for the actions of the perpetrator, and so many others. Minority groups are still antagonized by the people (read: old, white men) who are in power, and who have been in power for over 200 years simply because of the way their ancestors immigrated to the United

In this generation, it’s not a lie that people can get materialistic and greedy for money. Exhibiting that $795 Coach handbag, displaying your new Mercedes-Benz all over Facebook, and especially strutting around the hallway with your new Jordans with plastic covered around them because they’re too precious to be dirtied; they’re all common practices to find in a person’s personality these days. A very gigantic and clear-cut theme of the The Great Gatsby is the obsession with money and possessing materialistic traits. Fitzgerald uses this theme and portrays it in the characters of the book to represent the social high life of socialites in the 1920s.

What is a symbol? In literature a symbol is an object, person, place or an idea that has a real meaning in itself and also a deeper and profound meaning . Many examples of symbols can be found in the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story of the book takes place in the roaring 1920’s and within the story Fitzgerald uses a lot of symbols as objects and physical location. The physical locations such as valley of ashes, Gatsby’s mansion , Nick’s house , the green light located in the Buchanan residents’ dock are not only places or locations that the author mentions, they symbolize emotions, feelings and other significant information.

In the book, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby there is a quite a bit of references to sports that includes golf, football, and baseball. The time period the book was written in was the 1920s where a lot of people had a lot of leisure time. The people who have already been rich and never worked for it or the people worked for it and has already achieved the American Dream play sports to satisfy their boredom. It is sad to say in sports there is cheating and corruption involved even though its meant for fair play and relaxation. For instance in The Great Gatsby, Jordan cheats during her golf tournament, and Meyer Wolfsheim fixes the world championship, both Jordan and Wolfsheim did it for themselves.

Introductory paragraph: The roaring 20’s halted great success, cities became bigger, businesses became more successful, and money became more disposable, however while this time period inflicted great success it boasted many consequences as well. Life became unrealistic, standards became higher, life became more and more elite, and past emotions of war will still remained unhealed. All of these factors led people to lose touch with reality, and develop unrealistic ideologies. In his novel the Great Gatsby Fitzgerald utilizes stylistic devices to illustrate theses unrealistic ideologies of the time.