An Effect of Money on People

Money being unable to buy happiness

The Great Gatsby is a tragic story about love and how money affects the lives of the characters in the novel. Fitzgerald emphasizes what exactly the American Dream is through the use of symbolism and the egotistic nature of the characters. The idea of the American Dream isn't necessarily material items. In actuality working hard and accomplishing goals in life to become successful in society is really what the American Dream is. The author also uses good diction and language to show the character development of Gatsby and Daisy, by showing the complicated romance between them. Although money may provide short term satisfaction, whether it be through material items or in vain, there is no amount of money that can provide long term happiness.

In the novel, Gatsby's ultimate goal wasn't necessarily to become wealthy because of greed, but more for the sake of winning Daisy back. Gatsby grew up poor however, he was very determined to become successful. Money being able to buy happiness doesn't apply to Gatsby. Daisy is the only thing that will bring happiness to Gatsby, nothing else. Gatsby loves Daisy, but he cannot be with her because she is with Tom and it is difficult for him to express his love to her at first. Gatsby is a very secretive and closed off man, so he shows his love for her in the only way he knows how which is buying her love with excessive parties, flowers, and clothes .

Materials are no match to real authentic love. You can satisfy or please a person with materials but money cannot buy someone's love or trust. There is more to life than wealth and the book emphasizes that claim greatly because throughout the story the characters have their own set of problems that climax towards the end of the plot. Everything about Gatsby's new wealth was all for a certain motive. He hosted parties and everyone was invited. Daisy herself is explicitly connected with money here, which allows the reader to see Gatsby's desire for her as desire for wealth, money, and status more generally. So while Daisy is materialistic and is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth, we see Gatsby is drawn to her as well due to the money and status she represents. In the text it states, I couldn't forgive him or like him but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. 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 ( Fitzgerald page,146).

Money here is more than just status, it's a shield against responsibility, which allows Tom and Daisy to behave recklessly while other characters suffer and die in pursuit of their dreams. In the end Tom and Daisy simply go back to their boring and careless lives, but all the money Gatsby tried so hard to make didn't end up doing much for him because Daisy still had love for her husband. Money does have value but it may not necessary make people happy in the book. Gatsby spends a huge amount of money to host parties that he doesn't really enjoy. He has a desire to grab Daisy's attention and make her fall in love again because of Gatsby's new life with more money. Gatsby could not use money to buy Daisy's love. Also, Gatsby knows of many important people that surrounded his life, who come to his party before, after he dies only a few people come to his funeral. Wealth and power are gone away with Gatsby.

Gatsby's dream could not be achieved by only using his money. This shows that money does not actually give true happiness. The characters in the book who are higher class people may be able to buy all the things they want with money to make them happy, but actually it is only temporary. I believe that love and trust from family is what really makes people truly happy as it is eternal, and these are the things that they lack as most people tend to have problems with their partner. For example, Tom and Daisy. However, for Gatsby he was even willing to participate in illegal activities to become rich but ultimately to win daisy back.

Materialism and wealth is a huge factor that has always been apart of Daisy's life. She married Tom Buchanan for his wealth. Daisy being used to having everything makes her character seem very careless. Chapter 1 introduces us to daisy with, i've been everywhere and done everything. Although the audience is aware of the abundance of money Daisy has, she has also been through alot. Daisy married Tom knowing how much money he possess. Tom has been unfaithful and Daisy is very aware of his affairs but she continues to stays with him because, of the money.

As the reader learns more about Daisy it is very easy to establish a claim that Daisy is ann unhappy women. I know this because, when Daisy had went to visit Gatsby for the first time after five years she begins to let out all of her emotion to Gatsby. In the text it says, it makes me sad because i've never seen such beautiful shirts before(chapter 5). This tells me Daisy became very emotionally because she finally saw what her life could have been with a man she truly loved. Daisy didn't marry the man she truly loved and it is easy to tell she is hiding from her reality and allowing her life to fall around her.

I believe that in some ways money can negatively consume your life. Money was the fatal flaw of the entirety of the cast in this novel. The majority of the characters were incredibly wealthy yet their lives were empty. They continuously tried to fill the voids in their lives with expensive and meaningless materials that failed in giving their lives any substance. Gatsby himself had all the money one could ask for, but he did not have the one thing he wanted, Daisy. This is the perfect example of how money truly cannot buy love, or happiness.

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