“Both Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gastby’ and Joshua Ferris’ ‘Then We Came to the End’ act as criticisms of capitalism.’” Do you agree with the statement?

Furthermore, through their presentation of the divine ‘The Great Gatsby’and ‘Then We Came to the End’act as criticisms or capitalism. There is a clear correlation between the Western world embracing capitalism as its socio economic structure and a rise in secularism. Many critics of capitalism would argue that the economic system has reached a level of influence similar to that of major religious institutions. In 1921, in a short essay entitled ‘Capitalism as Religion,’German philosopher Walter Benjamin referred to capitalism as a ‘purely cultic religion.’ These are ideas reflected in both novels. In ‘The Great Gatsby’the recurring motif of T.J Eckleburg emerges in Chapter 8 as a metaphorical representation of God: 
‘You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!... he was looking at the eyes of T.J Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous, from the dissolving night.’ 
Fitzgerald establishes T.J Eckleburg as a key motif within the novel, he watches over the Valley of the Ashes acting as a symbol of patriarchal oppression of the working class. However here we see his symbolic role elevated further to that of a divine entity. For Wilson this abandoned advertisement acts as distorted representation of God. This paradoxical image is used to suggest that society has replaced worship of God with worship of money; replaced subscription to religion with subscription to the capitalist system. A God of moral justice and virtue has been abandoned and in their place, a God of money, status and power has risen. Thus, Fitzgerald criticises the debasing of spiritual values that has occurred under the capitalist system. In ‘Then We Came to the End’ there is an equally contorted presentation of God. An interesting pattern of images is developed which links ancient religious practice to the worship of money in modern society: 
‘“Bush League” were the words we used to describe the logo designs of other agencies- unless it was a really well designed logo in which case we bowed down before it, like the ancient Mayans did their pagan gods.’
 Ferris makes use of the distorted simile of religious worship to suggest how those working in the advertising company now worship examples of good or successful capitalism. The devout worship of ancient religions has applications in the modern day but instead to well curated advertising techniques. Similar to ‘The Great Gatsby’, we see how the spiritual divine have been replaced, in their capacity as people’s aspirational figures, by those who successfully navigate the Capitalist structure. Ferris makes the point that whilst the focus has shifted, the primitive human behaviour of idolatry remains. This theme is extended through the reaction of the workers to one of the novel’s key motifs, the totem pole: 
‘When we heard Benny was not getting rid of the totem pole… we kept asking him why. Why, Benny? Why? Benny, why?’ 
Fitzgerald uses repetition to evoke the confusion of the workers in regards to Benny’s decision to keep the Totem Pole, a religious artefact from an ancient pagan religion. They see no value in such an object. However, we see how their attitude towards the totem pole changes as they realise its potential monetary worth: 
‘it could sell for as much as sixty thousand dollars… Jim’s jaw dropped. He let out a few choked grunts of disbelief.’ 
The structural shift in their reaction to the artefact suggests that now that it has a high financial value, the totem pole has gained validity and importance in their eyes. Their initial inability to grasp its more abstract, spiritual significance suggests their disconnect from such feelings of spirituality and the divine. The capitalist system they live in has developed an appreciation for only the tangible, leaving them unable to appreciate things with more abstract religious importance. There is implicit criticism of capitalism in its promotion of a new earthly god, money. Hence, we see both novels act as criticisms of capitalism through Fitzgerald’s implication that virtue and morality has been debased and Ferris’ presentation of money replacing the divine.