Examples Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby: How the American Dream is grossly materialistic. Since the beginning, the main focus of living is acquiring more money and becoming as successful as possible. In the 1920's, people made money from the stock market, and illegal bootlegging. Since these people were hitting the jackpot, a rank called 'new money' was created. This rank, never overpowered 'old money' the most wealthiest, well-known and respected class. Possession of material wealth however, can't bring true happiness. Love is an important factor in this equation; when you don't have love, it is hard to be happy. Daisy Buchanan's case in The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald proves this to its entirety. When having to decide between an empty marriage with her husband Tom and Jay Gatsby, her love, she chooses Tom. It is then
They weren't happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or ale-and yet they weren't unhappy either"(152). They don't look as if they share a deep connection-a connection such as Daisy and Gatsby's share.
Daisy and Tom's happiness is based on both of them coming from money, marrying for money and acquiring more money. It is not until later in the novel however that Daisy's true colors are shown. After the untimely demise of Gatsby, Daisy doesn't even bother showing up at his funeral. Instead, she goes on vacation with her husband; not even a letter of condolence sent. Fitzgerald then shows how materialistic tendencies make people unmerciful and cold-hearted. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made"(188). Fitzgerald's usage of the text makes Tom and Daisy seem like money-hungry robots who need to be surrounded by wealth, having no sympathy or any other emotion towards anybody other than people like