Great Gatsby Character Development Thesis: While money will always be important to lives, but money alters the way people think, identity and character, and the actions people would take. Our surroundings affect who someone becomes because money influence how people think and act. Why did Daisy marry Tom when she clearly loved Gatsby back then? Well she had married Tom because he had money and power, Daisy wanted someone to pay for the lifestyle that she had wanted to have. When Gatsby was trying to get Daisy back from Tom in their argument Gatsby had said “She never loved you, do you hear?
She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (Fitzgerald 130). Gatsby knew this and that is why he worked hard and came back loaded with money and had a mansion that held parties that tried to lure Daisy back to him. Gatsby had thought that he could get back Daisy since he now has money too. He knew that if he is not able to support the lifestyle that Daisy wants then she would choose her actual husband without hesitation. Also it shows how people will sway towards money when they can since it can change how they live their lives.
People all around Gatsby were just taking advantage of his wealth. Money tends to sway people’s decision towards it due to how money can change their lives. Money changes how we act and an example of how money influences how we think is when Gatsby is talking to Nick about how Daisy is, he says “Her voice is full of money, he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it…. high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl…. (Fitzgerald 120) this example is telling exactly why Gatsby is so in love with Daisy. She represents money and status because of how it says “the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it… ” (Fitzgerald 120) suggest almost that her voice is a provoking advertisement for the wealthy lifestyle that Gatsby wants. She never knew what it meant to want something because she would always get it, and s is carried by the tone of her voice. Gatsby understands this perfectly while Nick is still trying to figure out why Daisy’s voice is so attractive with others.
Since Daisy was born rich she knew how to be that role of a rich person. This is proof because of the words “inexhaustible charm” (Fitzgerald 120) as if she doesn’t have to try it just comes naturally to her, while on the other hand Nick and Gatsby were not born rich so they don’t have this voice full of money nor be the in the role of the rich person, Gatsby is still a poor person in tone of voice. Money changes how we act with other people depending on if we are rich or poor. this is carr
Money also create who we are as in character and identity an example of this is when everyone were at the small party at the start of the book Tom had said some prejudice things towards others “It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things. ” (Fitzgerald 13). It was also shown when Gatsby was trying to get Daisy to tell Tom she doesn’t love him “Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white. (Fitzgerald 130).
Because Tom’s family who always have money they look down on others so they tend to be reckless and judgmental towards others. Because in both lines Tom was being racist towards other races it shows that Tom thinks he is part of the dominant race because of how wealthy he is. Money molds who we are because it gave Tom his identity and character. These are three examples that were shown in The Great Gatsby shown that money can bend a person’s actions and emotions to a point where they are only driven by the money itself.
Because Gatsby thought he could get back Daisy once he came back loaded with money, how Daisy could speak naturally like a rich person because she was born one but not Gatsby or Nick, and lastly how Tom looks down on others because of how rich his family is. But they all relate to the real world, since money is important in our society, we use it to buy things that we want or need. But we have to make decision depending on our amount of money if we should do something or not. So the money we use alter how we think, act, and makes who we are.