The Great Gatsby allows the reader to see and understand what it was like to be rich during the Roaring Twenties. Mainly, Gatsby threw lavish parties in an attempt to get Daisy back. He was one of the characters who flaunted his wealth the most, even though he was generally a pretty good guy through it all. His parties make up a large part of the novel and they are described as grandiose, with hundreds of people and expensive food and alcohol. He had no problem spending a lot of his money on these parties. Throughout the novel, the rich are portrayed as being selfish and impetuous. Specifically, Tom and Daisy Buchanan display their wealth throughout the novel. They buy alcohol, buy expensive clothes and make it clear to everyone that they have money. In fact, after the incident with Myrtle, they pick up and leave town to avoid the consequences that might happen to them. They have the means to do it. The Buchanans lived their whole lives the way they did because of their money and as Nick states: “They were carefree people, Tom and Daisy – they broke things and creatures, then retreated to their money or their great carelessness, or whatever. that’s what kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 186). The Great Gatsby tells the story of how the wealthy often lived and offers insight into life at the time.