Money as the Root of Loneliness in The Great Gatsby The 1920s in the United States was a period of economic growth in which people lived frivolous lives believing that their money they would have earned them Happy. It was a time of alcohol prohibition and a time of empowerment for women. So, it was a time of partying, drinking and wild women for those who could afford it. Those at the bottom of society constantly struggled to reach the top of the economic ladder. This era, on Long Island, is the basis of F. Scotts Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby. It has become one of the great classics of American literature and is well known for its comments on social status. Through the introduction of many "status" oriented characters, Fitzgerald comments on the social lives of those living in the 1920s. But does it go beyond the social status issues it addresses and focus on something deeper? Yes, the characters may focus on their steady rise to economic well-being, but more importantly, they reveal a theme of The Great Gatsby: at the heart of man's heart is loneliness and the need to be needed, which he is surrounded by greed for money. . The plot, or the overall development of the story, is carefully designed to grow as the reader gets to know the characters. It is only in the final chapters that the actual events of the story add to the theme. Even then, the character's reactions to these events are what reinforce the theme of loneliness. The narrator, Nick Carraway, presents his own vision of himself at the beginning of the story. Being the narrator, he allows the reader to know only what he wants them to know about him. He gives the impression of being a righteous human being, who “reserves all judgment” (p.1). However, by the end of the story, he has come to the conclusion that all the people he has come into contact with are superficial and self-centered. Although he may give the impression of being happy with life, a small glimmer of loneliness can be seen in him. He shows this to the reader as he thinks, “Thirty: the promise of a decade of solitude, an ever-thinner list of single men to meet, an ever-thinner briefcase of enthusiasm, ever-thinning hair” (p.136). He also reveals his need to be loved by someone, even if it is another girl: "I didn't have a girlfriend... so I pulled the girl close to me, clasping my arms" (p.81). Another example that supports this theme is when Nick refers to the loneliness that accompanies Gatsby's death: "...I realized that I was responsible, because no one else was interested - interested, I mean, with that intense self-interest to that everyone has something vague at the very end… I wanted to get him someone, I wanted to go to the room where he lay and reassure him, 'I'll get you someone, Gatsby.' Trust me and I'll get you someone'" (p.165). Somehow, if he could find someone for Gastby, it would cure his desperate need for a person to love in his life. Daisy Buchanan, the object of Gatsby's desire, is Nick's cousin, and it is thanks to him that she reunites with Gatsby after so many years. Although she has money and a charming young husband, she too is struck by loneliness. When you look past her beauty and the sound of money in her voice, you can see the loneliness. The fact that her husband no longer loves her, and rather ironically demonstrates his love for her by having a very public affair, only adds to her loneliness. The loneliness comes from the fact that she knows about the affair, yet doesn't have the strength to walk away from her money and do something about it. The money and sarcasm he can escape to are security blankets and hedges for thefeelings of loneliness that overwhelm her. Through a conversation Daisy has with Nick, Fitzgerald reveals the sadness and cynical view this character has on life, due to her husband: "Her face was sad and lovely (p.9)... I see what turbulent emotions her they owned . [She said:] 'Well, I've been having a hard time, Nick, and I'm pretty cynical about everything.' Evidently she was right to be” (p.17). In this conversation she recalls the birth of her daughter. She remembers bursting into tears and making this comment: “'It's okay. And I hope she's a fool: that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool'" (p.17). He obviously wants to spare his daughter the pain she went through. because of the men who have been in her life, and the only way to achieve this is to be a "beautiful little fool". Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband, is the male equivalent of his wife despite his domineering attitude and his macho outward appearance, after all, Tom is just like the others. When his lover, a lower-class woman known as Mildred Wilson, is killed, and when his wife is considering leaving him, his facade quickly crumbles to reveal itself again. another person who is afraid of being alone. In a heated argument with Gatsby, words of defensiveness and panic come from his lips. He sees beyond his money and looks to a place where he stands alone: ​​". . . he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization (p.130). . . 'She [loves me] though. The problem is that sometimes she gets some senseless ideas in her head and she doesn't know what she's doing. Sometimes I go partying and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I always love her.'" . Knowing the right words to say to maintain protection from loneliness is what brings him back to Daisy, while money brings her back to him. Although all of these characters depict some sort of loneliness in their lives, Gatsby is the epitome of loneliness steeped in it. a blanket of money. The events that happen throughout his life up until the day he is brutally killed completely support this theme. The Jay Gatsby that the reader finds himself in front of is mainly a man full of mystery, who organizes elegant and extreme parties. make a living, (with a little smuggling on the side). "People were not invited: they went there. . . Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby" (p.41). This is the first glimpse we see of Gatsby's loneliness. Gatsby throws huge parties where no one seems to care whether he is there or not. They come and go; they don't really care about him. Nick meets Gatsby at the first party he attends. Throughout the evening, he observes the chaos and ever-increasing intoxication of the party, however, somewhere in the midst of the merriment Gatsby notices: ". . . my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another . no one fell backwards before Gatsby, and no French helmet touched his shoulder" (p.50). Even in the midst of a thousand cheerful and laughing people, Gatsby is still separated from them; he is still alone. To understand the intense and ever-present loneliness Gastby feels throughout his life and to understand why his death is so depressing, it is necessary to understand the relationship he and Daisy once shared as intense lovers separated by World War I. During this separation, Gatsby creates a "perfect Daisy" in his mind and desperately tries to win her back from the man she will eventually marry. He spends his whole life alone and making money. with the intention of reuniting with the woman,1953.