By what methods does Fitzgerald present the Jazz Age Society’s preoccupation with wealth and materialism?

The Great Gatsby was published in 1925 and was circle in the Roaring Twenties. This was a glamorous decade marked by cultural, artistic and tender developments, still it was brought to an end by the debate Street Crash of 1929, which triggered the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the 1920s, America became real prosperous as the country recovered from World War I. in that location was a policy of Prohibition. This meant that alcohol was illegal, only the continued demand meant there was a lot of money to be made from bootlegging. It was a metre of social change the younger times chokeed to rebel against tradition.For many tribe, and especially women, the war provided new experiences and freedom. After the war, there was a strong impulse to try new and exciting things and to break from tradition. bop music became touristed be manage it was more energetic than earlier music styles. Fitzgerald coined the term Jazz years. Flappers began to challenge traditional gender ro les. Flappers were women who be set outd in a way that was aspect to be inappropriate by the older generation they drank, smoked and wore reveal clothing. Fitzgerald sets The Great Gatsby in an altered version of Long Island and Manhattan.Great issue and Manhasset Neck become East and westmost testicles, and the large landfill site Flushing is renamed the vale of ashes. The main sites represent different elements of the 1920s east-American modus vivendi Manhattans skyscrapers and noble-minded hotel goes but it is besides filled with lonely clerks who spend all their fourth dimension working, and gangsters who meet in makedy bars. The valley of ashes is a stretch of thriftlessness which sits between the former(a) sites and connects them. The valley illustrates that the excesses of wealth cant be achieved without exploiting another part of society.The wealthy stop number homees who inherited their money conk in East junkie, West Eggs hosts new money people who take ho ld earned their money. The people who live in East Egg come from old, wealthy families and have inherited money. They see themselves as deluxe and well-mannered. West Egg is the home of the new money people who have recently made their money through business. The people of East Egg look down on the people who live in West Egg because they consider their family backgrounds to be inferior and their ostentatious displays of wealth to be in bad taste.Gatsby realises that money isnt enough to cross the social divide between himself and Daisy he needs to be upper class to be seen as her equal. His affected speech and imported shirts argon an enterprise to imitate the upper classes. Religion has been replaced by consumerism and the pursuit of pleasure. The characters live drifting lives that revolve around pleasing themselves and acquiring new possessions. For example, the guests at Gatsbys parties focus on drinking, smell for new make outrs, and trying to make comfortable money.The conversation between Michaelis and Wilson in Chapter eight alludes that consumerism has replaced religion You whitethorn fool me, but you cant fool theology Michaelis precept with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of secure T. J. Eckleberg Wilson mistakes the eyes of the advertisement for God. This shows that the eyes actually have no meat except for the meaning that the characters keep back them. This could reflect the feeling of the lost generation that life is essentially meaningless and is defined only by the set the people give it. Consumerism promises that framework objects will make you bright and give your life meaning.However, material possessions dont make people happy in the novel this is symbolised by the point that cars, a desirable consumer item, cause death and destruction. The idea that consumerism has replaced religious value in reinforced passim The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald mentions the Presbyterian nymphs in the speakeasy, a place where people coul d illegally buy and drink alcohol during forbidding, in Chapter 4. This use of religious language could suggest that religious symbols have lost their power, and be at home in places of corruption.Weddings are a religious and legal union of a couple, but Daisys wedding to tom turkey is utilise primarily to display their riotous wealth. tomcat brings four private cars and hires a whole floor of hotel. Gatsbys car scattered light across the landscape and has fenders spread deal wings. These descriptions give the car qualities often associated with religion its book of facts of light and is winged like an angel. Most of the characters in the novel are very wealthy and live a life of luxury. The rich and glamorous atmosphere defines the noels tone the focus on the upper-class lifestyle gives the novel a mood of lively extravagance.For example, Gatsby owns a beach, motor-boats and a Rolls-Royce and his parties are encompassing of faces and voices and colour. However, this societ y is pedigreeed with the poverty of those living near to the valley of ashes. The location of the valley of ashes between the wealthy Egg communities and New York makes the contrast stronger. There is also a constant sense that the glamorous lives of the upper classes are essentially meaningless beneath the surface, everyone is bored because they have no purpose Daisy seems to realise this when she asks what they should do this afternoonand they day after that, and the attached thirty years? . Many friendships appear superficial. For example, Gatsbys parties are rise of enthusiastic meetings between women who neer knew each others name. This shows that the society is full of pretence and loneliness. Many of Gatsbys guests had tragic fates. For example, drowned, strangle his wife, killed himself. This reinforces the message that behind the light-hearted partying, lots of society was deeply unhappy. Fitzgeralds portrayal invites the reader to be critical of the characters empty, worldly-minded lives while simultaneously making those lives seem exciting and scenic.This reflects his own view towards wealth. The characters are defined by their relationship with money it affects how they act, how they see themselves and how others see them nick is wooly about how to respond to wealth and decadence. When he begins his banking career he suggests his role models are Midas and Morgan and Maecenas. At the same time notch says that Gatsbys empty display of wealthy represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. Daisy and turkey cock take their wealth for granted.Tom assumes it is his rude(a) right to be at the top of society, and Daisy was casual about the beautiful house she grew up in. this attitude makes them careless people they never bother when they hurt other people, they can retreat back into their money. Gatsby used to be extravagantly ambitious and focused on financial gain. However, the Gatsby that Nick meets doesnt get involved in the decadence of his own parties. This suggests that he has grown to be indifferent to his wealth he just sees it as a means towards winning Daisy.For Myrtle, money buys happiness she gets pleasure from her frigidity skim off, pet dog and magazines. Her opinion of her husband was damaged by the credit that he couldnt afford to buy a suit for their wedding. silver takes on a meaning beyond its financial wealth. For Gatsby, money is confused with love. He says Daisys voice is full of money, linking his propensity for her with his longing for the wealth and status that she represents. Gatsby understands the relationship between love and money. Daisys voice, he says, is full of money it is the seductive, thrilling aspect of her.What Gatsby, with surprising consciousness, states is that Daisys fascinate is allied to the attraction of wealth money and love hold convertible attractions. Gatsby, with his boundless capacity for love sees that the pursuit of money is tied to his love f or Daisy and he knows himself well enough to see this. That Daisys voice is full of money is a remark only Gatsby could make. It is a statement of someone attune to the possibilities of love and money and sensitive to them perhaps too much. Tom could never have provided this description of Daisy his attraction to her has nothing to do with wealth.Tom is accustomed to having money money holds no interest for him because it does have to be chased after his is old money simply there to be used. Tom may buy anything he wishes from polo ponies to cufflinks but he understands that polo ponies or cufflinks are all he is buying. Myrtle only cares about demeanor and material possessions. Myrtle claims not to care about clothes I just slip it on sometimes when I dont care what I look like, but actually shes obsessed with her appearance she changes clothes regularly and buys cold cream and perfume.She wears see-through colours, in contrast to Daisy who wears white but when Myrtle changes in to a cream dress, her vitality changes to hauteur. This shows that she thinks breeding is all about appearance. Shes also concerned with other peoples appearances. She was seduced by Toms clothes the first time she met him, mentioning that he wore a dress suit and patent leather shoes as well as a white shirt-front. Its significant that Myrtle pretended to be looking at the advertisement instead of looking at Tom, because both Tom and the advertised product represent Myrtles greed for material objects and wealth.Tom Buchanan represents the immorality and materialism of the Jazz come along. Fitzgerald thought that the Jazz Age was hypocritical and this is reflected by Toms behaviour he is appalled when he learns of Daisys affair with Gatsby, but he has stacks of affairs himself. He criticises Gatsby for sneering at family life, but was God knows where when his daughter was born. He also criticises Gatsby for knowing criminals and for being a bootlegger, but Tom also knows criminals and he likes to drink, which shows that he doesnt follow the prohibition laws either.He sets a high moral standard for other people, such(prenominal) as Gatsby, but has no morals himself. Nick notes that he moves from disruptive to prig to suit his needs. Toms wealth and sense of favourable position makes him careless and un affectionateness. Nick summarises Tom and Daisys behaviour when he says they ridiculous up things and creatures and then retreated back into their moneyand let other people clean up the mess. They run away from their problems and never face the consequences. He acts as a foil to Gatsby Gatsby is loyal, sensitive and caring whilst Tom is more or less the opposite.For example, he only seems to start caring for Daisy when he sees he could lose her. This suggests his reaction is as much about pride and possessiveness as about actually caring for her. The fact that Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby highlights the shallow and materialistic nature of the Jazz Age socie ty. Like Daisy, Tom is materialistic he has to appear to have the scoop up of everything. For example, he was married with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew.