Materialism In English Literature
One principal purpose of literature is to depict the actual world. And twentieth century English literature has done a great job in terms of capturing and reflecting the true sense of the society at that time. One of the most prominent themes that many influential English writers such as Morley Callaghan, James Joyce, David Herbert Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, etc… tried to incorporate into their works is materialism. It is considered as a contributory factor affecting people in many aspects, including lifestyle, relationships and decision making. In this essay, I will analyze the embodiment of materialism effect through some typical English literary works in the twentieth century. To start with, materialism takes a heavy toll on relationships …show more content…
For example, a so-called materialistic society forms a lavish lifestyle that people may tend to adopt. As a consequence, they become so obsessed with wealth and prosperity that they pay less attention to their beloved. Take “The Legacy” by Virginia Woolf as an example, owing to the assumption of the importance of social status, Gilbert Clanton, who is a prominent politician, spends almost every time pursuing his own career, leaving little time for his wife. The mother from “The rocking horse winner” is also an epitome of individuals being pretty much affected by materialism. She deliberately keeps up with the glamorous style in spite of the fact that the house is always in the condition of money shortage. Besides, to some extent, materialistic community has an impact on people’s daily routine. Uncle Henry, a character in “Luke Baldwin’s vow”, is an exemplar of individual being affected by the concept of materialism. He is described as a man of practicality “He’s so wonderfully practical. He takes care of everything in a sensible, easy way.” Everything he does from dealing with domestic issues to taking care of the workload at the sawmill is assumed to bring him benefits. He manages things in the way that is of good practice for his own sake, which may leads to his negligence in others’
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Materialism In The Great Gatsby Analysis
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The Human Condition In Literature
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Materialism In The Great Gatsby Analysis
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