Theme Of Wealth In The Great Gatsby

Nick’s associations with the materialistic wealthy class ultimately led to his decision to give up on the American dream. As mentioned by James Adams, the American dream is, “a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely…” (Adams). The American dream is not supposed to merely be the aspiration to have a lot of materialistic things, but the wanting to reach one’s highest potential. Though, the evident downfall of the meaning of the American dream is expressed throughout Nick’s narration as he proceeds associations with the wealthy. Despite coming from a family that is revealed as being, “descended
from the Dukes of Buccleuch” (3), Nick reveals his beliefs to rather disinherit his tradition and names his great-uncle the “actual founder” (3) of his line because he initiated the wholesale hardware business that was carried on.
This shows that Nick didn’t care that he came from a family of royalty as he believed his great-uncle’s decision to start a business was more worthy. In doing so, Nick can be seen by the readers as valid evidence of the American dream. However, his views on the validity of the American dream alters as he strays from the comfort of home and begins associating with the wealthy. The influence the judgmental wealthy had on him is first introduced when he says of those who preyed on Gatsby, “what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out any interest the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men” (2). From Nick revealing this, he is foreshadowing the close-mindedness that he found within the wealthy. Likewise, to people who lived in the East Egg, materials had everything to do with someone’s worth. One of the first few things that Tom says to Nick is, “I’ve got a nice place here”
(7). Similarly, Gatsby says to Nick, “My house looks well, doesn’t it?” he demanded. “See how the whole font of it catches the light.”(89).The tendency of the wealthy to brag about the things they have exposes how they don’t acknowledge the American dream mindsight.
Nick’s reactions to both characters exposes his usage of his father’s advice to not judge others by just going along with it. The demeaning nature is shown more in depth between Nick and Gatsby. When Nick offers to host a tea party with Daisy at his house, Gatsby says, “why, I thought—why look here, old sport, you don’t make much money, do you” (82). Gatsby even goes so far as to cut Nick’s grass because it wasn’t good enough for Daisy and would’ve made him embarrassed to have her arrive at a house like that. It’s almost as if Gatsby was saying that Nick’s house wasn’t good enough for Daisy. Coincidentally, by revealing that Gatsby is also materialistic, Nick disproves Stocks’ claim that Gatsby exemplifies, “a particular ideal for Nick” (Stock) and is possibly a, “kind of doppelganger who embodies all that Nick would like to be” (Stock) because Nick returns home due to the fact that he does not want to be materialistic. His disclosure of Gatsby being materialistic also disproves claims by Stock that Nick would, “ignore or edit anything that might undermine [Gatsby’s] image” (Stock). Through Nick exposing the belittling viewpoints of the elite East Egg class, the reader is likely to question the validity of the American
dream. Still, Nick tries to fit in by attending parties and drinking along with the other wealthy characters. In fact, the extremes Nick went through are exposed when Nick reveals while hanging out with Tom and his mistress, Myrtle, “I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon…” (29) Thus, exposing the bad influence the wealthy had on Nick. It is almost has if in order to be accepted by the wealthy, Nick would have to change himself. Nick eventually realizes that fitting in doesn’t work as he notes that he’d, “enjoyed these same people only two weeks before. But what had amused [him] then turned septic on the air now” (106). It is clear that how he was raised caused him to not see the importance of things such as a, “toilet set of pure gold” (91) and so he was no longer amused by their lifestyles. Due to his increased exposure to these typically self-centered people, Nick begins to give up on his father’s advice and his tone and narrative progresses into being slightly cynical towards the wealthy for being so materialistic. Nick’s gradual feelings toward the wealthy eventually makes readers assure themselves that the stereotype of the wealthy being snobs seem true. It is as if this experience while being away from home caused him to give up on his old morals. Though some critics see Nick’s agitation with the wealthy as biased, considering that Daisy is his cousin, if anything, Nick should be rather defendant of the wealthy. He should typically not be willing to criticize his cousin’s actions and side with someone he just met. By not being prejudiced towards his cousin’s actions and being more observant to the actions of everyone, Nick was able to eventually enlighten himself on the concept of the American dream. Thus, exposing how crucial his father's advice was to the initial states of the novel. However, when Nick is exposed to the wealthy, it becomes more difficult to sustain to his father's advice. It is almost as if Nick was implying in the beginning that his association with the wealthy ruined his aspirations. Therefore, through recalling his great-uncle and then viewing the wealthy, Nick realized that the old perception of the American Dream was outdated as one could no longer truly advance in life without society’s confinement. Although Kent Cartwright claims that Nick is a, “man capable of neither assertive action nor self knowledge” (Cartwright), it isn’t that he lacked the confidence essential to surviving in the East, he just realized that the old definition of the American dream was no longer true for their society and so he decided to place a halt on his dreams. It is likely that if the wealthy weren’t so selfish, Nick wouldn’t have had such a bad experience.
All in all, Nick’s narrative voice gives readers a moral that, despite the fact that it is often implied that the American dream is realistic, the chances of achieving it in society are very slim. It is evident that in today’s society (and even in the earlier civilizations) one’s family and financial situation impacts how one is perceived by society. When competing with those who have come from a well-known family, achieving success is very difficult. Nick also implies to readers that one must be very confident in order to withstand the irrational rumors that may be spread about them by society as one attempts to achieve one’s goals. Considering how wealth can heavily impact one’s results, and the fact that people are judged based on how they appear, it is clear that the American dream’s validity has faded (that is if it ever even existed) over time.