How Did F Scott Fitzgerald Use Materialism In The Great Gatsby

The punishments were also too harsh and cruel. 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.

Daisy displays her greed throughout the novel; she marries Tom Buchanan because of his wealth. 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. Lastly, these two motivations come together as she attempts to force Tom to sell his soul so she can reap the benefits of the acquired wealth. Mrs. Walker’s greedy actions, along with her thirst for control, were key components to her demise by the Devil’s hand. Just as Tom is unwilling to give up money, “He had a wife as miserly as himself,” his wife matches his avarice (Irving, 2010, p. 229).

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. This was caused by the lack of regulations and laws which allowed businessmen to get away with paying their employees unethically low wages without benefits.

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. He feels that if he cannot achieve greatness and get his family out of the slums of Chicago, then he has failed at everything. It not only concerns his family that he sees his human worth out of money, but it worries them because they are not able to trust him to be responsible and just when making decisions.

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.