Class Division In The Great Gatsby

Submitted By Hanzieboo
Words: 1711
Pages: 7
Open Document
Hannah Wren

Page 1 Word Count: 564
Consider the idea of class division in Fitzgerald's presentation of Jay Gatsby and Tom
Buchanan. In the course of your response consider how Fitzgerald’s other works illuminates your understanding of the core text. In Fitzgerald's novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ the idea of class division is shown through his portrayal of the two protagonists, Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. As the novel progresses we are introduced to the many different qualities that each class promotes, and how it affects their treatment of others. Although Gatsby is the main focus of Fitzgerald’s novel, many other characters, especially Tom and Daisy Buchanan, are concerned with his wealth and class. The reader is led to believe that
Gatsby has acquired his money through illegal means. This is hinted at in the line ‘a lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers.’ In 1920’s America, prohibition was introduced meaning that consumption of alcohol was banned so it was sold illegally by ‘bootleggers’. Later in the novel, Gatsby's character is described as having ‘tanned skin’ which is commonly associated with people of the working class as they would have had manual jobs which would have involved working outside in the sun. This confirms to the reader that Gatsby’s background is different from other characters like the Buchannans. We get the impression that Gatsby doesn’t know what to do with this newly acquired wealth so he decides to use it on winning
Daisy, his old flame. Gatsby’s house is described as being a ‘palace’. This highlights the extravagance of his house, which he bought in a significant place, all for Daisy’s attention. Nick
Carraway, the narrator, contrasts Gatsby’s character to people of the upper class, such as Tom
Buchannan, and says ‘they’re a rotten crowd, you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’
The ‘rotten crowd’ Nick is referring to consists of the upper class characters, such as Tom and
Daisy, who use money to just run away from their problems. The adjective ‘rotten’ foreshadows the attitude of Tom as he treats people of the lower classes, like Wilson, as if he is superior to them. Fitzgerald highlights that even though Gatsby was thought to be a criminal, he is also honorable in some respects and a very modest character. Gatsby’s main goal is to win over Daisy, thinking that she’s the same girl he used to be in love with. Gatsby even stands up to Tom and says ‘she only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting’. This is Gatsby’s way of reassuring himself that Daisy still loves him, by belittling Daisy’s feelings for Tom, claiming she only loved his money. He believes that now he has money, he is worthy of Daisy’s love once again and can buy her love away from Tom.
Gatsby’s character can be linked to Anthony Patch from Fitzgerald’s other novel ‘The Beautiful and the Damned’. Like Gatsby, Anthony has just enough money to get by but he inherits a fortune from his grandfather's death. Both Gatsby and Anthony suffer financial bankruptcy which leads to emotional bankruptcy as neither can get, or keep, the women they love. Anthony says
“Things are sweeter when they're lost. I know­­because once I wanted something and got it and when I got it it turned to dust in my hand.” Anthony is discussing his wife, Gloria. The fact he believes that things can be better when they are ‘lost’ suggests that unlike Gatsby, Anthony is okay with losing his wife as he can just focus on the happier times they shared together rather

Hannah Wren

Page 2 Word Count: 678 than trying to cling on to the past and eventually lose everything, which is what, unfortunately, happens to Gatsby’s character. Fitzgerald’s two characters can be linked as they both lose what is most important to them through greed and wanting too much. Gatsby’s character represents the nouveau riche, people who are new to wealth a nd the upper
class,
Show More

Related Documents: Class Division In The Great Gatsby

Gatsby Essay

Aaron Evans Mr. Miley English 4 november-14-2014 Gatsby Essay In the novel The Great Gatsby the most obviously recognized topics; the American dream and how difficult it can become to achieve it, the delineations between the social classes, old rich, new rich, some money, and no money, and how all social classes do have some similarities, the fact that Gatsby cannot realize that he cannot repeat the past with daisy to rekindle their relationship, and what describes a self-made man. The…

Words 774 - Pages 4

Gatsby essay

Ibrahim Period 3 L. Appino English 302 Essay The Great Gatsby Essay The novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald has showed us about the morality or the lack of molarity in each character throughout the book. One of the examples in the story is Tom Buchanan, who lacks morality. Throughout the novel he is dishonest about certain perspectives about life. Tom Buchanan exhibits dishonesty in this novel, contributing to an overall theme related to morality. The theme of this book is…

Words 695 - Pages 3

Gatsby: The Great Gatsby and Gatsby Essay

THE GREAT GATSBY.. In the Great Gatsby the story is narrated in the past tense and seen through the eyes of Mr Nick Carraway.He is a young man from Minnestota, who after serving in World War 1, went on to New York to learn the bond business. He moves to the West Egg and soon becomes friends with his neighbour, the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald, the author uses the the settings of the East and West Egg to present the differences in the classes and the demise of the American dream in the…

Words 1007 - Pages 5

Gatsby: The Great Gatsby and Gatsby Essay

(3) 22 April 2013 Lies and Deceit Frederick Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby portrays a rich man who obsesses over the love of his past and as a result ends his life. Lies and deceit take a major role during the novel, the biggest lie of them all being Mr. Jay Gatsby himself. All humans are innately dishonest and superficial which reveals the characters true disposition and as a result leads to discontent and in Gatsbys case, death. Frederick uses Symbolism, Characterization, and Diction to reveal…

Words 1001 - Pages 5

Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby Essay

objectivity down to pronounce, “Gatsby turned out all right at the end” (Fitzgerald, 6). This is not taken lightly by Barbara Will, who notes that Gatsby is “a figure marked by failure and shadowed by death throughout most of the novel” and is far from “all right”. As she notes, this idea holds to Fitzgerald’s style if Gatsby is looked at as an embodiment of the American dream. Throughout the novel, Gatsby has no grasp of time or reality, for that matter, and Gatsby, a man who sees everything with…

Words 3524 - Pages 15

Gatsby Practice Essays

Exam preparation – text response to The Great Gatsby Notes from Barron's: Great Gatsby (1984) by Anthony S. Abbott, Davidson College Professor of English. 1. Is Gatsby a "hero?" Discuss. Everyone wants to admire someone. Do you admire Gatsby? Is he a hero to you? If so, why? If not, why not? This essay gives you a wonderful opportunity to take sides. From one point of view, Gatsby is a crook, a bootlegger, a vulgar materialist. From another point of view, he is a dreamer, faithful to his dream…

Words 2834 - Pages 12

Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby Essay The Great Gatsby is a novel of pure early 1900’s literature. It directly explains the roaring twenties and how America was changing during that time. This novel exemplifies all of that change through F. Scott Fitzgerald’s point of view whether through Gatsby’s parties or the characters in the book. The Great Gatsby also shows the underling struggles of American people and shines a light on the American dream during that time. The prompt I have chosen is a direct comparison…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

Gatsby Essay Outline

Calvin Noel Mrs.Sumurien English Period.1 Nov.7,2015 The Great Gatsby Final Essay There were many things that were attainable in the 1920’s but the American Dream was said to be the easiest.The 1920’s was a time of new and fresh ideas, to woman working,or the black culture booming. According to the propaganda of the 1920’s the American Dream could be obtained easily. The American Dream was attainable if it was worked hard for. Many people…

Words 576 - Pages 3

Gatsby Essay Cie

The Great Gatsby Practice Essay In the novel Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald there is a lavish display of wealth, which is conveyed through the overuse of money and un – needed ‘toys’. This essay will focus on the people at Gatsby’s party, the party itself and Gatsby’s possessions. F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the people at Gatsby’s party to be ‘fake’. Before his guests arrive at his party they are ordinary everyday people, like you and me, but when they arrive at the party they…

Words 467 - Pages 2

Essay on Great Gatsby

Great Gatsby Essay 3. Show how the author’s use of imagery and/or symbolism reveals them OR reinforces aspects of character in a work studied in this course. The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about the love story of the main character Gatsby during the 1920s. In the novel, the author uses colours to reinforce the aspects of characters. Each colour has symbolic meaning from the beginning of the novel, but as the story develops and as the true nature of characters are revealed…

Words 319 - Pages 2