Greed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Gatsby and covetousness In this day and age, capital is a very important summation to permit. One needs to have at least enough to stomach on, though great amounts are preferable. In The Great Gatsby, by doubting Thomas F. Fitzgerald, having a large amount of m superstary is non enough. It is also the fashion you acquire the money that matters. Gatsby and Tom both have a grass of money yet Daisey picks one over the other, not because of the difference in the amount they have, but because of the manner in which it is attained. To the main characters in the book, money is everything. Tom, Gatsby, and Daisey are all consumed by money and its prestige. Gatsby uses his money as a tool to lure Daisey back into his life by giving her a tour of his possessions inside and out(a)side his house. Because Daisey seems to fall in love with Gatsby again, it shows that she was not really in love with Tom, it was his old money that she is truly in love with. Money is important to Tom and Da isey because it makes them feel superior to those who have less. All of these characters have been corrupted by their greed but the one person that has not is Nick, Daiseys cousin. He is nice enough to help Gatsby with Daisey out of friendship, not for his money. In the book, money symbolizes a social evil as it destroys lives of people corrupted by wealth. In the first chapter, Fitzgerald treats money as if it was a cookie cutter for social classes and tells how wealth divides the society into distinct groups. For instance, eastmost Eggers have inherited money whereas West Eggers have new acquired money. Tom is an example of an East Egger who has prestigiously inherited quite a lot of old money. Gatsby is a West Egger who by bang legging, swindling and doing favors for others, has acquired new money. The difference between social and economic classes is best demo by the comparison between Tom and Gatsby. Tom was born an East Egger, which was something that Gatsby could neer achieve. No matter what he did, he would always be a West Egger. Although Gatsby could have been an economic equal to Tom, he would never be a social equal.