Some of the people who lived in the Progressive Era were excessively wealthy and terribly materialistic. A prime example of this is seen in a passage of The Great Gatsby when Gatsby gives Nick and Daisy a tour of his home.

The mansion is full of expensive aspects such as "period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers." Obviously a person did not need such things in a time when the nation's economy was in recession, but this quote helps show that wealthy people of this era did not even think about saving money in case they fell into hard times. The second way the materialism of the time is shown is by mentioning the themed rooms in Gatsby's house. It is implied in the novel that Gatsby lives alone in his home, but there are always household help and other guests present...