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The Characteristics Of Materialism InThe Art Sacheby And The Art Decby

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The 1920’s were roaring. Throughout this time period, wealth in the United States doubled, expanding the growth in the economic forum. Many Americans chose to move into the quickly expanding city, and made the transition into a prosperous and previously foreign “consumer society” (History.com). The traits of greed and materialism are ubiquitous in The Great Gatsby, as well as in the Art Deco era of the 1920’s. These two characteristics can give one confidence, but as demonstrated in the novel, they bring nothing but short-term satisfaction. After which, feelings can run the gamut from desperation to childish behaviors. While greed and materialism have the power to seem favorable, bringing an amplification of social status, they are a temporary distraction- a veneer, and inevitable mistakes are made that eventually bring an individual wisdom. Moreover, greed and materialism are neither beneficial nor attractive; keeping people from living in the present, preventing one from living the life that they had envisioned, and ultimately changing the individual and his/her beliefs.
The human characteristics, of greed and materialism, are a disguise that provide an ephemeral distraction which after time, leave one feeling dissatisfied. In today’s world, people are searching for something better than what they formerly had. If asked what one’s overarching life’s objective is, most would answer to be happy and loved. The misconception that happiness and money are interchangeable is

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