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How Does Benjamin Franklin Create Happiness In The Great Gatsby

Decent Essays

Tala El Miligy
English 11
Ms. Lee
December 9th 2015
The Great Gatsby Essay Benjamin Franklin once said, “Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.” Benjamin Franklin speaks the truth that occurred during the 1920’s and The Great Gatsby. During the 1920’s, Americans had an abundance amount of money to spend, however, being wealthy during the 1920’s did not necessarily mean that the individuals were happy. The more money they had, the more they wanted to spend, until they found something that money can’t buy, causing them to be depressed or unhappy. This can be evident in The Great Gatsby, a wealthy man named Jay Gatsby can not find happiness due to Daisy …show more content…

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald criticizes his own experiences to express how wealth has a destructive influence towards individuals during the Roaring 20’s. Jay Gatsby uses his wealth to throw extravagant parties, determined to get Daisy back by impressing her with his mansion that he bought for both of them to live in. The parties Gatsby threw had orchestras that played jazz music and offered liquor despite the prohibition that was going on during the roaring 20’s in hopes of getting Daisy back (Fitzgerald 40). Fitzgerald describes Gatsby as an unknown and mystery person amongst the guests at his party, in which the guests gossip about Gatsby, not knowing whether the gossips were true or false. With social status, it is important that Jay keeps himself as a mystery rather than exposing himself with the truth. This can be evident in the novel when the guests at the party began gossiping about Gatsby, “Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.” A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly.“I don’t think it’s so much that,” argued Lucille skeptically; “it’s more that he was a German spy during the war.” One of the men nodded in

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