Examples Of Social Class In The Great Gatsby

Words: 680
Pages: 3
Open Document
Society and Social Class Society categorizes social classes considering factors such as economic statuses, education, acquaintances, and occupations. A large quantity of people believe it to be easy to escalate the social class ladder due to the American dream, yet the The Great Gatsby contradicts this common belief. Society and social class are represented in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, when Gatsby struggles to belong to the higher social class due to an old money, new money barrier. Gatsby’s famous acquaintances, framed high education, his wealth, and his effort didn’t seem to matter to society’s categorization of social class when it was clear that his wealth came from shady bootlegging businesses. Gatsby constantly …show more content…
New money was located in the luxurious East Egg, while new money people were located in the neighboring West Egg. Reasonably, Tom and Daisy lived in East Egg while Gatsby lived in West Egg along with less wealthy Nick. “I lived in West Egg, the-well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald, 5). Even with the location barrier Gatsby built a, “...colossal affair by any standard- it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden,” (Fitzgerald, 5) to impress everyone, specially Daisy.
In conclusion, no matter how hard Gatsby or any of the other characters tried, society set impediments for social class levels to remain in their category. Wealth and social class went hand in hand in Fitzgerald’ novel shaping the characters mentality. These categorizations sorrowfully impacted this novel by driving some of the characters into disastrous endings. Myrtle dies, Mr. Wilson loses it all, and Gatsby is rejected and killed and the rich stay intact. This tragic novel explores the 1920’s location, mentality, wealth, traits, and characterization all to mirror social class
Show More

Related Documents: Examples Of Social Class In The Great Gatsby

The Theme Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

version of success. Throughout The Great Gatsby, the American Dream relates to hopes and dreams, America’s obsession with wealth, etc. Fitzgerald uses several forms of literary devices to convey this message to the audience, some of which include metaphors, allusion, paradoxes, etc. On the surface, this is a story about thwarted love between a man and a woman. However, the theme of the American Dream encompasses a much larger idea aside from romance. Jay Gatsby, a young newly, wealthy man, returns…

Words 537 - Pages 3

Social Class In The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby and A Diamond as Big as the Ritz, the themes of both texts can be compared in relation to the presentation of social class. In The Great Gatsby social status is a substantial feature central to the text as it distinguishes the different geographical locations in the novel but more crucially, depicts the mentalities of members of the different social class’ which affects the events that occur and perceptions of many of the characters. The themes of wealth, American capitalism…

Words 946 - Pages 4

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

Essay about “How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?” In the Great Gatsby

question, “How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?”. The text that will be analyzed is The Great Gatsby and the part of the course that will be dealt with is literature and critical study. The task will focus on a few main themes of the book, mainly, the hollowness of the upper class. The social group that will be analyzed is the upper class but more specifically, the newly rich. The newly rich have a weird social stature at this time where many lower class people were making money…

Words 1142 - Pages 5

Greed Quotes In The Great Gatsby

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, is filled with one very startling argument about the loss of morals and social class of the time. For example, Tom throughout the book is having an on going affair with another woman when he is married to Daisy. The woman he is having an affair with is also cheating her own husband.Tom seems to visit Myrtle-his mistress- quite often.Tom even goes so far as to bring Nick along with him.During the visit Tom openly breaks Myrtle’s nose for repeatedly saying…

Words 370 - Pages 2

Love and Great Gatsby Essay examples

Madison Colling Mr. Allen 1st period, English II November 26, 2012 Great Gatsby Essay There are many different types of love presented in The Great Gatsby. Throughout the novel, we never really get a real definition of love. However, it shows that what people believe is love, may actually just be an allusion. Each character in the novel shows a different type of love towards each other. The Great Gatsby is an example of a great love story, but in reality, it is not. Tom and Daisy have…

Words 480 - Pages 2

Examples Of Egalitarianism In The Great Gatsby

The American Dream is just a Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings are usually centralized around the theme of failing at the American Dream. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the American Dream is defined as “an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity.” Throughout his novels, Fitzgerald repeatedly writes on how the American Dream is corrupted by the obsession of wealth, power, and the romantic conquest of women. Author John Callahan comments…

Words 2530 - Pages 11

Gatzby Essay

One can conclude rather facilely a person’s social class from just looking at where and how he lives. People find their homes in a place and society where they know they will belong. In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald uses three very evidently distinctive settings to emphasize the differences between the social classes. In the novel, The East Egg represents a wealthy, aristocratic society, the West Egg represents the society of wealthy but less dignified people than of the East Egg, and the…

Words 704 - Pages 3

the great gatsby student draft coursework Essay

Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism, themes and language to develop characterisation and setting in ‘The Great Gatsby’. How did your reading of ‘A Handful Of Dust’ illuminate my understanding of these features in ‘The Great Gatsby’? ‘The great Gatsby’, by Scott Fitzgerald, is set in what was known as ‘The Roaring Twenties’ ; during the decade when the American economy boomed rapidly, it became more prosperous and dominated Europe’s markets as their industries had shattered due to first World…

Words 1769 - Pages 8

Essay Tom Marxist Lens

on of the material means of life, that is, the development of economy.” The Great Gatsby fails to commemorate the exhilarating capitalist culture it depicts but instead, reveals its concealed depths of Marxist understanding. Fitzgerald’s novel exemplifies a social commentary of corruption through its grotesque characterization of those at the top of the economic heap. The most adequate way The Great Gatsby mocks ideology exists through the illustration of commodification. Nowhere so…

Words 829 - Pages 4