ENG4U Culminating Essay

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, money truly does make the world go ‘round, or at least gets you heading in the right direction. Money buys Jay Gatsby an eye catching yellow Rolls-Royce with an accompanying hydroplane, a flashy pink suit and gold tie and last but not least, wildly extravagant parties.

 

 First, those who are cordially invited are approached by Gatsby’s chauffer in a blue uniform on their front steps. On Friday, crates that contain fresh oranges and lemons are delivered, "There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour, if a little button is pressed two hundred times by a butler's thumb"(Fitzgerald, 44). Only the finest drinks can be served to Gatsby’s guests, despite prohibition. And as the night continues, "The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and how the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher"(Fitzgerald, 44).

 

 But there’s one thing we’ve forgotten. Where can Gatsby throw these parties? Oh, but in his mansion, of course. Wealth is such a prevalent theme in the novel that it is not only represented in material possessions and social status but also demographically. The Great Gatsby takes place in two geographic areas of Long Island, New York. West Egg represents the newly minted millionaires of the 1920s, including Gatsby and Nick. While, separated only by a courtesy bay, East Egg and its denizens, specifically Daisy, Tom and Jordan, symbolize the old aristocracy.  Nick, our narrator, exquisites, “Why they came East I don't know. They had spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together” (Fitzgerald, 17). The remainder of Long Island is inhabited with those considered middle and lower class.

 

The premise that money makes the world go ‘round, not only applies to the swinging 20s, but also the technological age of the twenty-first century. In fact, little has changed since Gatsby’s time. The 1920s were years of materialism and consumption, not unlike today. Money can still buy us material possessions and experiences, such the newest iPhone and Beyoncé concert tickets, respectively.