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The Role Of Happiness In The Great Gatsby

817 Words4 Pages

Torrey Norville
English 12
5/23/2016
Period 4
Can Money Buy You Happiness?
How much money does it take to buy you happiness? Is it even possible to buy happiness? The ultimate goal that most people have always had, and will always have, is to be happy. Everybody has there own idea of happiness. How much money would it take for you to be truly happy? The quote “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness,” from Charles Spurgeon gives you more of a perspective on the fact that happiness is not materialistic but more spiritualistic. This does not mean that if you buy this brand new car that you will not be happy but that happiness can only get you so far in life. In the story, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we get his perspective, through many different characters, on whether or not money can buy you happiness. In this book we have many characters however there are many who have great aspects on happiness. FIrst we have Jay Gatsby who is very rich. Gatsby has a big house, an amazing car, a house full of staff and then some yet throughout the story we cannot determine whether or not he is happy. Then we have Myrtle Wilson who is married to the character of Mr. Wilson but we do not know if she is happy. Last but certainly not least we …show more content…

Jay Gatsby is a very wealthy character and he can buy anything he wants. He has a big mansion, a nice car, a ton of expensive clothing yet we do not know if he really is happy. In a part of the book Gatsby says, “Then came the war, old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die…” If we read that one of the most wealthiest characters is not happy and is depending on a war to kill him, then it goes to show that money doesn't buy you happiness. A man who can buy almost anything he wants is not happy. Jay Gatsby is not the only character who has a fortune and can not buy his way to

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