The Love of Money: The Real Root of All Evil?

In an analysis of what plays the greatest influence in our lives, money is certainly a ranking factor in nearly all cases. The magnitude of wealth that one attains dictates his way of life, his possessions, and often the friends with which he associates. It is unquestionably valid to state that the power of money is an elastic quality limited only by the confines of personal control and limitation. Given no boundary, the love of wealth and status often embeds itself into the core of our actions and manifests a great danger into our social health and moral stability. All too often, the life tool that currency is meant to be, is transformed into a lifestyle that leads to an unending cycle of unfavorable outcomes and dissatisfaction with reality.

Perhaps the greatest influence that wealth can have upon society is a mentality that having a certain worth in life is measured with dollar signs rather than social impact. Far too often, we look down upon those who have less than we do and strive to become those with six-figure paychecks. In both instances, we tend to overlook the content of either respective individual's character or personal set of values and base our judgment solely on dividends. This presumptuous cycle leads to both eternal yearning and unhappiness. In no way shall we ever find satisfaction by playing this brutal game and trying to get ahead. In contrast, when following such a path, we spend countless years forming one-ended relationships, half-hearted contracts, and end up no farther ahead at the end than when we started years previous.

Without question, money can bring temporary ecstasy and love. Society is fooled by the affect that a momentary high can provide and often looks to money to provide comfort through struggles and acceptance by others. Once again, the standard tool that we are provided is manipulated into a power tool to be used in unintended ways to prove our superiority over others and to bring often illegal sums of cash into our bank accounts all for the sake of saying that we did it. This way of life is not only unacceptable in the broad scheme of reality, but it is severely ideologically flawed in the belief that a given sum of money can provide eternal bliss and/or happiness. No amount of accumulated wealth is capable of providing the internal satisfaction, happiness, and worth that is found with self-acceptance.

In Fitzgerald's novel, we find several instances of the influence of wealth of the characters and their outlooks on life. Given the post-World War I setting, it can be inferred that society was one of materialistic standards. The success of a person was almost always associated with the amount that he could attain and the style of life in which he lead. The worth of an individual was all too often overlooked in favor of that which was temporary and materialistic. Fitzgerald accurately depicts the undeniable preconditions embedded within society at that time that still exist in some level in the modern word. He uses each character systematically to represent the misconceptions of the day and how they affected the society of upper class New York. One can find on any given page several examples of assumptions and personal biases that find their foundation based in cultural misconceptions about the meaning of money and its role in life.

The author uses several unique personalities to teach a lesson concerning the influence that we let money play in our lives. Each character lets the influence of a dollar play a critical role in their decision-making and outlook on life as a whole. Some, such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan, who were deemed

lucky enough to be born into a family that has amassed wealth over time, were juxtaposed with others, such a Jay Gatsby, whom had found other, more recent methods of stockpiling millions. This contrast created yet continuing conflict that could have been avoided completely had the influence of a dollar been set in the appropriate level in each of their respective lives.

Fitzgerald uses several examples throughout the book that cite specific instances in which Jay Gatsby has manifested the love of money into the only way to attain his sole desire: Daisy. As the scene in his closet unfolds, he is careful to include revealing quotes such as "He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in a many-colored array." (Fitzgerald, p. 92) and "We went upstairs, through period bedrooms, swathed in rose and lavender silk with vivid new flowers, through dressing-rooms and poolrooms, and bathrooms, with sunken baths..." (Fitzgerald, p. 91) that further inform us of the great personal value that Gatsby places on his possessions. He has mentally determined that his only way to marry Daisy would be through materialistic impressions and makes it his life goal to lead such a life that would give him what he desired. Unfortunately, his system proves its flaws in the final scenes of the novel when we are told that his life's efforts go unrewarded with only three individuals showing up at his funeral. In the effect, we as the audience are to see that while material possessions and amassed wealth can be impressive in the instant, they often make bad situations worse by providing a false conception of success in instances of personal failure.

Several instances of Daisy's character are revealed though her actions in certain situations. Her mentality is flawed in that she sees no worth in people who are not of equal financial status to her family. She finds no measurable value in society without the insistent influence of wealth surrounding her. This is a stark contrast with the more ideal mentality of acceptance to what we have been given. Her outlook provides all the usual shortcomings that we have come to expect from upper class society and in the end, she is no more satisfied than when she first began. This is a prime example of how the author uses the ever-present influence of money in his characters' personalities and lifestyles.

The influence of money is an unavoidable cloud through which we are given the task of navigating. From birth, we are responsible for our decisions. From the high chair to the office chair to the wheel chair, each of us is given the standard choices of life. How we select these options determines our path through life and our overall personal level of success. Granted, some are granted an easier path than others and are placed into greatly favorable conditions. However, all roads lead to the same place given the correct choices throughout life in regard to money and social status.

It is an undeniable truth that money is a necessary evil throughout the course of life. Without a stable currency, even greater havoc would wreck society than we realize today. It is with the misconception of the purpose and use of money that we find our greatest problems with society. As the famous quote from the Bible clearly states, "The

love of money is the root of all evil." It is not the simple presence of money that leads to the above stated problems, rather it is the love, devotion, obsession, and worship of money that bring about the undesirable situations that I have discussed. As people in society, it is our responsibility to use money in the way that it was meant to be used - as a tool to provide a living for ourselves and attain the necessary supplies to maintain vitality. It is in that way alone that we will ever find true, unyielding, internal, happiness with life and with each other.