This is America
Throughout time, individuals all across America work to achieve great wealth and status. Social class and appearance dominate as the main values for many Americans. The top compete to see who lives the more luxurious life. These never ending riches can drastically change one’s character and personality.
In “The Great Gatsby”, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, the corrupting nature of wealth by the toxic role money plays in the lives of major characters like Daisy, Tom, and Jordan makes them careless and entitled. For example on page 179, Nick describes Tom and Daisy as “careless people”. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (179). Tom and Daisy knew that their social class and appearance would dominate others so they took advantage. They were careless and left others to clean up after them while knowing they could run back and seek shelter in their own money. Another example of carelessness is when Jordan is driving Nick back from a party. She passed really closely to some workers and flicked one of their buttons with her car. “‘Well, other people are [careful],’ she said lightly. ‘What’s that got to do with it?’ ‘They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident’”(58). Her nonchalant driving could have seriously injured or killed someone but her carefree nature was unfazed even after a close encounter. She seems confident that no one will come in her way and seems to act like she owns the place. This carelessness appears because of the dominance of social class and appearance. For example, when Mrs.Wilson and Tom Buchanan engage in an argument about his wife, Tom Punches her in the face. "...Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing, in impassioned voices, whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy's name... Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand" (37). Due to the carelessness, Tom the more dominant figure punches her with no consequences. As dominance and wealth controlled daily life these characters had no worries of being careless. While the poor were left with the worry of chasing and cleaning up for them.
In the “Rich Brother” by Tobias Wolff, we encounter another case of how wealth and money can have an impact on one's life. When Donald asked what Pete dreamt about he answered by repeating the words money multiple times. He said, “Sex and money. Mostly money. A nightmare is when I dream I don’t have any” (78). Pete surely seems obsessed with his wealth. Money is all he thinks and cares about but it's essential in keeping his social status and appearance. When he loses some of his money because of his careless brother he becomes very displeased and enraged. “Why?” Pete asked. “Why did you give it to him?” When Donald didn’t answer, Pete said. “A hundred dollars, gone. Just like that. I worked for that money, Donald”. “You don’t know! How could you? You get money by holding out your hand”(88). When Donald is given money he is careless and inconsiderate to his brother. He doesn’t think about the consequences or the hard work put in by his brother to earn those dollars. While Pete is furious that he has lost his money, he doesn't consider his brother at all. In the end money and social status is really what breaks these two brothers apart.
After numerous examples and instances we see a pattern of the different things wealth can cause. It leaves a standard that others compete to see who lives the richer and more luxurious lifestyles. Whether it is maintaining their social class and appearance or achieving it. These values can bring out a great deal of dominance and carelessness towards others while also fracturing relationships. The wealthy can run back to safety in their riches, while the poor have nowhere to run. The rich get richer and the poor are left behind even after all of their hard work.
