In the Great Gatsby there is a motivation of wealth for Gatsby, he is a man who thinks that he can win over Daisy by resorting to crime to do so. His idea is that if he gains money and has parties and becomes glamorous like Daisy is, she will come back to him, for this was a time where social status mattered and Daisy was in the same social place as Tom, making them a perfect match. Gatsby grew up poor, but when he met Dan Cody with his yacht and abundance of money he started making money, his goal being making Daisy fall in love with him.
The motivation of wealth is seen very much throughout Great Gatsby and also in the Winter Dreams. Dexter had a motivation of wealth as soon as he quit his job as a caddie, he decided to be successful and being ambitious, made this happen. He became one of the richest men his age when he was 27 after being denied wealth for a long time. His ambitions brought him to his success but not so much his dreams, his desires. He still wanted Judy but realized he couldn’t have her, no matter how rich he was.
Gatsby and Dexter both had dreams of wealth, and they would do anything to obtain this dream. They thought that the women they loved would come back to them if they just became wealthy and superior. But there was a downfall in it all, they realized when they couldn’t have their women, their wealth didn’t mean much. It was just something to fall back on if things turned out the way they did. The American Dream ties into this because the American Dream is becoming successful, no matter whom you are or what circumstances you are in you can reach success. And in Gatsby and Dexter’s opinion being wealthy would help them reach that success.
Gatsby loathed poverty just as Dexter loathed working as a caddie. They needed change in their life and the thought of being part of Daisy and Judy’s lifestyle would help them obtain that change they desperately needed.
Wealth brainwashed them in a sense, they became