Examples Of Hedonism In The Great Gatsby
Two Major Themes in The Great Gatsby
a) The Decay of the American Dream
The American Dream was the hope for the people moved to the United States that anyone can earn wealth through hard work and would give comfort to their lives – in search for basic needs. However, we cannot see this hard work done to gain wealth and comfort. Instead we see hedonism and materialism in The Great Gatsby. For example, Gatsby throws in parties every Saturday night and those who attend those parties are searching for pure pleasure and enjoyment. This is the result of the Jazz Age as many had their goals towards finding pleasure.
Social Darwinism also plays a part in the novel. Tom introduces us this idea where he reads “scientific” books containing “long words” concerning with race. We can see he is trying to say the fittest survives and the unfit cannot. …show more content…
Hedonism and materialism is shown in chapter 5.
Gatsby asks Nick when he’ll ask Daisy to come over to his house. The pure reason why Gatsby wants Daisy to go to Nick’s house is because his house is just next to Nick’s house. He wants to show Daisy his house from Nick’s house point of view of how grand his mansion is. After some time in Nick’s house, Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy over to his house. When arriving, Daisy is admired by Gatsby’s mansion inside out. She is impressed by the richness of Gatsby’s home. When they reach Gatsby’s bedroom, he takes out all of his rich, imported shirts. Heaps of shirts stack on top of another and here Daisy breaks out in tears and
says,
“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before.”
We can see that Daisy is now regretting marrying Tom instead of Gatsby as she married Tom for his wealth. She realised that Gatsby is much wealthier that Tom and regrets not having to wait for Gatsby during the First World War. However, we find that Gatsby did not inherit his fortune, but he gained it by crime such as bootlegging. Before the war, Gatsby was poor and did not have money.
Such as these examples, we can see that the American Dream is decaying and peoples’ goals for pure pleasure are increasing.
b) The Moral/Spiritual Poverty of the Upper Class
As we have read in The Great Gatsby, we can see the lack of morals. Tom is married to Daisy and even has a daughter between them, but Tom does not care any less for them and thinks it’s perfectly fine for him to have an affair while it isn’t for Daisy to have an affair with Gatsby. Although this doesn’t mean it is moral for Daisy to have an affair with Gatsby. She is the one who gave birth to her daughter. However, falls in love with Gatsby after seeing all Gatsby’s wealth. Gatsby knows Daisy is married to Tom and has a daughter, but he still tries to get Daisy to like him. His past life was also immoral. He acted against the law and committed crime such as bootlegging when making liquor was banned. Gatsby got his fortune by doing this.
Despite the affairs, we can see more moral poverty of the upper class such as using their wealth purely for pleasure and fun. Tom punches and breaks his mistress’s nose because she said Daisy’s name. We can see Tom does not have a mistress because he likes her but to have pure pleasure. Every Saturday night, Gatsby throws parties which would cost a fortune. Gatsby orders crates of fruits from New York which would be later used as making cocktails. Then people would come regardless of knowing Gatsby or not and enjoy their time in the party having the pleasure they are seeking for. Gatsby in the other hand does not organise these parties to have fun, but to find people who know Daisy. Gatsby tries to meet Daisy again by the parties he puts on. Daisy kills Myrtle – Tom’s mistress – and Tom accuses Gatsby for the death of Myrtle which would be the result for Gatsby’s death.
Moral poverty of the Upper Class does not end in the novel as there are countless more throughout the novel because of the pleasures they each want to gain for themselves.
a) The Decay of the American Dream
The American Dream was the hope for the people moved to the United States that anyone can earn wealth through hard work and would give comfort to their lives – in search for basic needs. However, we cannot see this hard work done to gain wealth and comfort. Instead we see hedonism and materialism in The Great Gatsby. For example, Gatsby throws in parties every Saturday night and those who attend those parties are searching for pure pleasure and enjoyment. This is the result of the Jazz Age as many had their goals towards finding pleasure.
Social Darwinism also plays a part in the novel. Tom introduces us this idea where he reads “scientific” books containing “long words” concerning with race. We can see he is trying to say the fittest survives and the unfit cannot. …show more content…
Hedonism and materialism is shown in chapter 5.
Gatsby asks Nick when he’ll ask Daisy to come over to his house. The pure reason why Gatsby wants Daisy to go to Nick’s house is because his house is just next to Nick’s house. He wants to show Daisy his house from Nick’s house point of view of how grand his mansion is. After some time in Nick’s house, Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy over to his house. When arriving, Daisy is admired by Gatsby’s mansion inside out. She is impressed by the richness of Gatsby’s home. When they reach Gatsby’s bedroom, he takes out all of his rich, imported shirts. Heaps of shirts stack on top of another and here Daisy breaks out in tears and
says,
“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before.”
We can see that Daisy is now regretting marrying Tom instead of Gatsby as she married Tom for his wealth. She realised that Gatsby is much wealthier that Tom and regrets not having to wait for Gatsby during the First World War. However, we find that Gatsby did not inherit his fortune, but he gained it by crime such as bootlegging. Before the war, Gatsby was poor and did not have money.
Such as these examples, we can see that the American Dream is decaying and peoples’ goals for pure pleasure are increasing.
b) The Moral/Spiritual Poverty of the Upper Class
As we have read in The Great Gatsby, we can see the lack of morals. Tom is married to Daisy and even has a daughter between them, but Tom does not care any less for them and thinks it’s perfectly fine for him to have an affair while it isn’t for Daisy to have an affair with Gatsby. Although this doesn’t mean it is moral for Daisy to have an affair with Gatsby. She is the one who gave birth to her daughter. However, falls in love with Gatsby after seeing all Gatsby’s wealth. Gatsby knows Daisy is married to Tom and has a daughter, but he still tries to get Daisy to like him. His past life was also immoral. He acted against the law and committed crime such as bootlegging when making liquor was banned. Gatsby got his fortune by doing this.
Despite the affairs, we can see more moral poverty of the upper class such as using their wealth purely for pleasure and fun. Tom punches and breaks his mistress’s nose because she said Daisy’s name. We can see Tom does not have a mistress because he likes her but to have pure pleasure. Every Saturday night, Gatsby throws parties which would cost a fortune. Gatsby orders crates of fruits from New York which would be later used as making cocktails. Then people would come regardless of knowing Gatsby or not and enjoy their time in the party having the pleasure they are seeking for. Gatsby in the other hand does not organise these parties to have fun, but to find people who know Daisy. Gatsby tries to meet Daisy again by the parties he puts on. Daisy kills Myrtle – Tom’s mistress – and Tom accuses Gatsby for the death of Myrtle which would be the result for Gatsby’s death.
Moral poverty of the Upper Class does not end in the novel as there are countless more throughout the novel because of the pleasures they each want to gain for themselves.