“Our great cities and our mighty buildings will avail us not if we lack spiritual strength to subdue mere objects to the higher purposes of humanity” (Harnsberger 14), is what Lyndon B. Johnson had to say about materialism. He knew the value of money, and he realized the power and effect of money. Money can have many effects, however money cannot buy happiness. Many people disbelieve this fact, and many continue to try and actually buy articles that make them happy. In F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, Fizgerald keenly shows us how Jay Gatsby is one of these people.
Gatsby believes that if e has money, he can do attain great goals. Gatsby is a sensible man, yet he has many false conceptions. Jay Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past, can buy him happiness, and can be helpful in achieving a level of prestige in the prominent East Egg. Jay Gatsby believes he can buy happiness; and this is exhibited through his house, his clothes, and through Daisy. He owns a large portion of finances due to some mysterious source of wealth, and he uses this mystery source to buy his house, his clothes, and Daisy.
Gatsbys house, as Fitzgerald describes it, is “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (Fitzgerald 9). This house, as Fitzgerald fabulously enlightens to, is an immaculate symbol of Gatsbys incalculable income. “The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness” (Bewley 24), is an elegant mansion; that of which an excellent symbol of carelessness is displayed and is part of Gatsbys own persona.
Every Monday after a party, this house is kept by eight servants. It has its own entrance gate, and is big enough to hold hundreds of eople at a time. His careless use for money to impress others is portrayed through his clothes; a gold metallic hat, silver vests and gold jackets. The shirts and clothes that are ordered every spring and fall show his simpleness in expressing his wealth to his beloved Daisy. His “beautiful shirts . . . It makes me sad because Ive never seen such beautiful shirts before” (Fitzgerald 98).
It seems silly to cry over simple shirts, but “It is not the shirts themselves that overwhelm her but what they symbolize . . . ” (Cowley 43). These shirts represent the simple awesome manner of Gatsbys wealth and is ability to try and purchase Daisys love, this time through the use of extensive clothing. Fitzgerald wisely shows how Gatsby uses his riches to buy Daisy. In the story, we know that “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy–they smashed up things . . . and then returned back into their money” (Fitzgerald).
By this, we know that Daisys main (and maybe only) concern is money. Gatsby realizes this, and is powered by this. He is driven to extensive and sometimes illegal actions. He feels he must be rich and careless for his five year love, and when expressing Gatsbys readiness to spend any mount of money for his hopeful wife, a poem must be stated. “Then wear the gold hat, if that move her; If you can bounce high, bounce for her too, Till she cry “Lover, gold hatted, high-bouncing lover, I must have you! ” ( ). This poem is a perfect description of how Gatsby tries to buy Daisy, and her love.
All these enlighten us to Gatsbys personality, therefore we know Gatsby is willing to use an unlimited source of income to actually buy trifles to prove his worth to Daisy. He will buy a house that takes, even him, three years to pay for and purchases clothes every Spring and Fall. He does all he can in order to uy, what he feels is his only happiness, the woman he has watched for five years, the woman whos only concern is money, the infamous, Daisy. Gatsbys obsession is with the buying power of money, however, this obsession does not limit itself merely to possessions, but also to physical attributes.
Jay Gatsby attempts to recapture his past with money. He also implies he has a past at Oxford, he entices Daisy with wealth, and sometimes spins absolute obvious lies. In his past at Oxford, the author uses a prestigious, ivy league school that Gatsby visited in order to imply that Gatsby did come from a high class background. However, Fitzgerald candidly avoids saying for how long, for what reasons, or why he has indeed attained entrance at Oxford. Being misplaced by the Military at this local prestigious college unfortunately serves as a hindrance.
Gatsby shows Nick a picture “A souvenir of [his] Oxford days .. . ” (Fitzgerald), as if to imply that he was there. In all actuality, Gatsby had only dreamed of attending a school such as Oxford, and even a small, dishonest taste of this makes him dream of changing his past. This, as Malcom Cowly states, “past holds something that Gatsby [longs] for, a simpler, better, nobler time . . . ” (Cowly 45). With a photograph, Gatsby effectively, and almost unmistakably, recreates his past. Not only does Oxford involve untruths, but most of this recreation involves numerous obscene and unbelievable lies.
Gatsby “live[s] like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe . . . ” (Fitzgerald), as Nick, incredibly notes “With an effort I managed to restrain my incredulous laughter” (Fitzgerald). With documentation like this, Fitzgerald effectively proves Gatsbys statements to be lies. Even “When Nick asks him where in the Midwest [Gatsby] comes from, Gatsby ignorantly, but elegantly, tells him San Francisco, geography losing to he pretensions of the romantic imaginations” (Lehan 60). These and numerous other lies prove how James Gatz tries to recapture the past through the use of enamorous mendacity.
There is one reason only why Gatsby tries so desperately to alter his past, his pursuit of one money stained Daisy. Jay tries to buy Daisy in various ways. Not only does he buy many material items to impress her, but he continues to accumulate as much money as he can in order to physically buy her. As Jordan states, “He wants her to see his house, and you live right next door” (Fitzgerald). Perhaps the only reason he does is o show how much money Gatsby possesses. When Daisy finally realizes this, a problem occurs. “He innocently expects that he can buy anything–especially Daisy.
She is for sale, but he doesnt have the right currency” (Bruccoli vii). Clearly Gatsby has the money, unfortunately he does not have the right type of money, he comes from the wrong class of society. Due to the dream of attaining a higher social class and for Daisy, Gatsby tries to recapture his past, even if he is being forced to tell emaculant outlandish lies. In order to achieve a certain prestige, so that Daisy will love him (she may already love im, but she wont live with him), Gatsby uses his dirty money, his association with well known people, and numerous gestures to obtain this level of respect.
Gatsbys “mysterious source of wealth” (Fitzgerald), as Fitzgerald describes is through an activity called bootlegging. This illegal business is very risky, yet very prosperous. Gatsby uses it to “get rich quick”. As writer Henry Dan Piper says, “Bootlegging was after all a more or less acceptable business enterprise . . . ” (Piper 191). While this may be, this enterprise does not raise Gatsbys level of respect. The kind of wealth he needs is “acquired” wealth. The kind of wealth he achieves is earned.
In the prominent East Egg, and with Daisy, this type of wealth is unacceptable. Also, association is used in Gatsbys struggle for prestige. When taking Tom through his party, he stops at every famous person available. “Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer” (Fitzgerald) is a sentence in which Gatsby directly tries to associate his name with, and in turn earn a level of respect specifically from Tom. Gatsby includes anyone famous, even those who are morally bad. “Meyer Wolfsheim, the man who fixed the world series in 1919” (Mizner 23).
