Happiness and Wealth Great Gatsby

Happiness and Wealth Are Not Proportional

At one time or another, everyone has wished that they had more money because of the belief that having more money would, by default, make them happier. This belief forms the basis of the American dream of attaining success and wealth through the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Unfortunately, this dream is not as ideal as it seems. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby uses its characters to illustrate the complicated nature of the issues faced by the monetarily wealthy, as well to support the idea that attaining the American dream of wealth and success cannot bring love or happiness.

Jay Gatsby, a character in the novel, spent his whole life chasing after the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. In the five years between the two times they met, Gatsby developed the belief that Daisy would love him if he very rich. Because of this belief, he was determined to become visibly wealth by any means necessary. Through the proliferation of illegal alcohol he amasses a considerable fortune, and frequently throws large parties at his house to showcase his wealth, all with hopes of winning Daisy’s love. Unfortunately, Gatsby’s life comes to a tragic end

The idea that happiness is not linked to socioeconomic status is also explored by Barbara Ehenreich in her book Nickel and Dimed. In the book, Barbara works a series of minimum wage jobs in order to see if they allow one to live comfortably. At these jobs, Barbara encounters people who have a positive out look in life, despite their unfortunate economic situation.

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Clearly the opposite holds true as well. Money doesn’t buy happiness, so a lack of money does not equate to a lack of happiness.

In conclusion, we must look to the old adage “with the good, comes the bad”. This is something which simply must be accepted as fact in order to accurately understand the American dream and its downsides