Consumerism In The Great Gatsby

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“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (Fitzgerald). The Jazz Age was a reaction to the austerity of World War II. The weary Americans had experienced the bitter taste of death, and turned inwards, focusing on American prosperity, desperate to forget about the past five years (abc-clio). Extravagant parties, jazz music, flappers, and speakeasies began to characterize the culture of the 1920’s. Additionally, the development of technology and introduction of leisure time during this period led to the surge of consumerism. Cinemas, radios, and automobiles appeared, adding to the glamour of the Jazz Age. Living during this time, …show more content…
When describing Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship, Nick explains that Daisy is the first “nice” girl Gatsby has ever known. He emphasizes the word, “nice” to reveal how it possesses a social status element, ultimately exposing how people in the Jazz Age believed that a nice man or woman had wealth. Gatsby never had a relationship with a wealthy girl, because he lived in poverty. He knows poverty, but he now knows wealth. Gatsby was aware of his poverty which compelled his obsession with the idea of wealth and the enjoyment it brings. He is “overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves…of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and above the hot struggles of the poor” (150). Gatsby’s dream of happiness with Daisy forces him to run towards amassing wealth. He loves Daisy, but he also sees her as something to prove to himself he has risen above his poverty. He believes the wealth he accumulates provides him with a title everyone will respect. However, Fitzgerald uses “imprisons” to describe wealth, giving it a negative connotation. Wealth imprisons one’s thoughts, alluring their hopes and aspirations towards its accumulation. Contrasting with the bright colors of the West and East Eggs is the “valley of ashes…of men who move dimly and already crumbling …show more content…
Fitzgerald utilizes this characteristic to depict wistful images, ultimately communicating the American dream is something to strive for, but it may not be achievable. A pinnacle moment in the beginning of the novel, Gatsby becomes entranced by “a single green light, minute and far away…” (21). This green light illuminates Gatsby’s dreams. The light appears minute and far away, symbolizing Gatsby’s distant and obscure dreams, but dreams that are definitely present and influential. When looking at the flashing green light, he perceives himself and what he has the potential to be in the future. Just as the author begins the novel by referencing the green light, he ends the book with a more ambiguous reference to it. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then,” but, “tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…and one fine morning—” (180). The book concludes, with no closing to the final thought. Fitzgerald does this in order to demonstrate his belief that this dream of prosperity may never be attainable, but society must still “run faster” after it. WHY? The green color signifies vitality and growth and the opportunities to achieve a great sense of accomplishment and pride through Gatsby’s actions. However, throughout the novel, Gatsby strives for something he had in the past,
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