How Is Money Portrayed In The Great Gatsby

Along with his fame and popularity, he uses the traits that people associate him with as a way to woo Daisy. Gatsby uses his money to prove that he is worthy of Daisy’s love because he is just as rich or possibly richer than her husband,

The 1920s was a time of flamboyance and wealth in the upper class. Jay Gatsby, a man of old money, threw over the top parties, in which he would spend his money very nonchalantly. The ambiance of his parties greatly illustrated the upper class of the time. The author uses symbolism and characterization to support the central idea that the upper class was very careless, wealthy, and extravagant. Gatsby’s parties are luxurious, glamorous, and over the top.

It has long been said that money can’t buy happiness, but still people continue to use it’s acquisition to try to make themselves happy. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the title character struggles with this realization. The book is set in New York during the ‘Roaring 20’s’, a time famous for its parties and lavishness. The book examines the attitudes toward money within the upper particularly through the lense of the new-money title character, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby dedicated his life to the acquisition of money with the goal of eventually acquiring the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan.

Firstly, Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy led to his successes that eventually led to failures of money. Gatsby understands winning over Daisy he must impress her with money. Therefore, he starts illegal affairs (bootlegging) to become rich. Gatsby wanted to become rich enough so Daisy can love him and want to be with him. This quote for example shows that, “The one on my right was a colossal affair by a standard-it was a factual imitation of some hotel de ville in Normandy with a tower on one side spanking new under a thin beard of raw in, and a marble swimming pool, and more than…”(pg.11).

Daisy only cared about Gatsby because she thought he had the wealth she searched for. However, even when Gatsby bootlegged alcohol to become wealthy, Daisy still betrayed Gatsby, because Mr. Buchanan inherited his money meaning his wealth is much more stable, which, again, displays that Daisy left Gatsby due to her selfish desires. Also, when Gatsby was with Daisy five years ago, he described her as “gleaming like silver” (156 Fitzgerald). This is another indication that Gatsby never related to Daisy’s persona. He let her represent the wealth that he had always hoped to be part of as a child from a poor background.

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

What is more valuable, love or money? In the novel the ¨The Great Gatsby¨ written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is old and new money, Gatsby who is the main character in the novel comes from the side of new money. Gatsby finds out that his money can buy: a beautiful home, nice cars, friends, however; his wealth cannot buy the one thing that he wants most. Fitzgerald is conveying that money cannot buy certain things. Gatsby's rise and fall throughout the novel show that money isn't what makes a person happy.

Gatsby spent their years apart motivated to win over Daisy by gaining wealth. In his eyes, gaining wealth became equivalent to getting Daisy. He stated, “her voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.120). His life revolved around money and Daisy, who had symbolically chosen Tom’s pearls and wealth over Gatsby’s letter of love. He threw parties in order to attract her with his wealth.

After leaving his small town, he became the acquaintance of Daisy, a young girl whom he falls in love with but eventually marries into “Old Money”. The root of Gatsby’s immorality comes from his envy over Tom’s marriage to Daisy. In

Some may argue that Gatsby hasn’t been corrupted by wealth at all and that he was only an innocent, hopeful young man chasing after his dreams. But that’s not the truth because Gatsby became corrupt as soon as he began to desire a luxurious life and pursue Daisy with an increasing fervor. “So he invented the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end” (Fitzgerald 112). Gatsby, while chasing the illusion of a life he had made got involved in shady businesses such as the one he has with wolfsheim whose criminal connections are implied throughout the novel. As his wealth increased Jay began to spend his money carelessly and throw extravagant parties were “men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 43).

Gatsby has spent his whole life trying to prove to Daisy and everyone around him that he is worthy of her. The only way to be on the same social level as her is to turn himself into new money. Since this is not possible, he has to try to convince to others that he truly is old money. To do this, he becomes rich, and lies about his past, but the only way for him to complete this idea is if he is with Daisy. She is the final piece in his American dream.

He thought daisy would never leave him no matter what horrible things he did because she needs the money to live the life she has always cherished. This betrays him because she finds love in Gatsby and she can still live the wealthy life she wanted. The wealth corrupted everyone one in this story to think it brought happiness. Even

The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about how the interactions between money and love have major effects on the relationships between Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby. The relationship between Tom and Daisy is built more on money rather than love, however, there is little bits of love. Daisy marries Tom because of his wealth, but throughout their relationship she does, fall in love with Tom at least once. Also, Tom uses his money to basically buy Daisy’s love showing that he wants to have love in his life. The relationship between Gatsby and Daisy is also built on wealth, but it also involves love, alike the relationship of Tom and Daisy.

Gatsby says “Her voice was full of money.” This shows that he associated his love with Daisy to his pursuit of wealth and power. He wants Daisy because of the wealth that she represents. Gatsby wanted Daisy more than anything else. He could not move on.

In “The Great Gatsby”, Gatsby himself has set his focus on being viewed as this wealth man who did in fact come from wealth (even when he did not). He consistently portrays this man to hide the past and create an image for himself. He also pursues his dreams of winning over the heart of Daisy to create happiness. He did everything in his power to get her to notice him: moved to live near her, threw roaring parties in hope that she would eventually show up,