Money, a privilege or a curse? : Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, money plays an important role in the character's life. Money is used to change their appearance in the novel. All characters use their money differently. Gatsby attempts to use his money to win back his one true love, Daisy. Myrtle Wilson uses money to not change her appearance towards others. But others are used to having wealth and have experience in how to become one. These people include Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The narrator, Nick Caraway, travels east in search of wealth, but never achieves this goal. The entire novel is filled with wealth and riches, but should money be seen as a privilege or a curse? The characters in The Great Gatsby try to recreate themselves using money. Many characters in The Great Gatsby have money, and they all use it in different ways. Gatsby's main goal is to win back Daisy Buchanan. He attempts this by becoming rich so that she will fall in love with him again, with the sole purpose of him being rich. Myrtle Wilson tries to recreate herself by purchasing items to make her appear rich. Daisy's whole life has been spoiled. He cannot live a life that is not full of riches. Tom Buchanan was not born rich, but he is very used to it as is his wife Daisy. But Nick isn't rich. He travels east in search of wealth, but ultimately sees that money brings only deception and destruction. Jay Gatsby is not used to being a rich man because he has only been one for a very short period of time; therefore he can be seen as nouveau riche. Kirk Curnutt quotes Scott Donaldson about Gatsby: "His clothes, his... paper... Even though money seems like the answer to all one's problems, and even though it acts as the key to unlocking the dream American, money is a trap that can lead to deception and destruction. Works cited. Berman, “The Great Gatsby and Modern Times”. Kirk. “Waste and Destruction of the Middle and Upper Class.” Class Conflict in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Michigan: Farmington Hills, 2008. Fitzgerald, F. Scott . New York: Scribner, 2004. Lewis, Roger. “Money, Love, and Aspiration in the Great Gatsby.” October 27, 2011. Fitzgerald.narod.ru/critics-eng/lewis-moneylove.html 1920s in the Great Gatsby”. Infofuge.com 27 October 2011 www.inforefuge.com/demise-of-american-dream-the-great-gatsby