The Great Gatsby is primarily a novel about how one attempts to attain the good life through a sense of belonging to a high social class. This sense of belonging is essential for the good life because, by nature, we long to feel valued in our social groups. Belonging is even more crucial in The Great Gatsby because the events of this novel took place after an era of rapid industrialization, meaning that the characters are fully aware that the inability to adapt to a changing economic (and also social) system would result in them being disregarded by their society. In a way, Gatsby attempts to industrialize himself to maintain his value to others. He hosts parties and becomes a source of entertainment, and this is what impresses the upper class, namely Daisy. Thus, he treats himself like a business and adapts his personality to fit the desires and attributes of his intended "consumer," the upper class, so that they will value him and allow him to profit from his sense of belonging.
