Examples Of Social Classes In The Great Gatsby - 1381 Words

Great Gatsby Essay At the surface level, The Great Gatsby is most renowned for the tragic love story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy. However, despite this popular understanding, it is rare to find an analysis of the underlying reasons behind their failed romance. In society, social class is a commonly used dividing factor that separates people based on income. In a similar way, the main characters of The Great Gatsby are divided into the following social classes; the old money, the newly- rich and the working class. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes social classes to create a distinct line between the rich and the poor, creating a distinct outcome to the novel due to the advantages and disadvantages of each group. In regards to†¦show more content†¦Not only did they have a desired reputation from the rest of the community, but these men were well aware of their elite status. The families with generational wealth has established themselves and the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me. In other words, they viewed themselves as the highest class. As a result, these men were not hesitant to act in ways that solely benefited themselves. â€Å"They were careless people, Tom, and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made† (179). A common theme from the novel, is corruption by the wealthy. Fitzgerald portrays this theme of corruption, through Tom and Daisy’s careless actions. During this period of time, individuals with wealth could live their lives recklessly, because they could buy their way out of the consequences. B eing a part of this social class was a highly desired dream, however there was no way for people to become a part of it, being it revolved around what family you were born in to. People chase this dream with no end in sight, only creating a deeper barrier between each of the social classes. Jay Gatsby represented the nouveau rotaries or the newly rich class. During this time, the desire for wealth was on the minds of most Americans. For Gatsby, however, this had been a dream of his since childhood. The lifestyle of the wealthy was lust and carefree. WithShow MoreRelatedSocial Class Distinction in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay780 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever thought of how social and economic classes work into a capitalist system? Marxists believe that different social and economic classes should be equal. In the book the â€Å"Great Gatsby† written by F. Scott Fitzgerald these classes are very much defined and show the flaws and reality of how social and economic classes are viewed through Marxists. Viewing the classes through vulgar Marxists the characters attempting to climb social and economical ladders in the book are not accepted and rejectedRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1704 Words   |  7 PagesFitzgerald illustrates class s tructure in the book The Great Gatsby through the different characters in different social classes. Fitzgerald gives settings that correspond with the social classes of the characters to better illustrate what environment he placed each character in. The Buchanan’s, Gatsby, and the Wilsons are examples of the different conflicting social classes Fitzgerald lays out for his readers. Rosanne Tomyn in the article, Changes in Social Class in America in the 1920s, States â€Å"the UnitedRead MoreSocial Class : The Great Gatsby, Conflicts And Relationships1176 Words   |  5 Pages Social Class is Everything In today’s society, social class plays a large role in who is with who. Celebrity couples and weddings are very commonplace, but the rich and famous rarely marry those who are of the middle, or lower class. If it does happen though, it is usually a rich, older man marrying a young, beautiful woman. This would usually not happen unless the older man was rich, and these relationships do not usually last very long. Along with this, some people in foreign countries still practiceRead Moreâ€Å"How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?† In the Great Gatsby1136 Words   |  5 Pagesthe prescribed question, â€Å"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 speciï ¬ cally, the newly rich. The newly rich have a weird social stature at this time where many lower classRead MoreSocial Class Within The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1146 Words   |  5 PagesSocial classes in The Great Gatsby In today’s society many things revolve around your social class, and is that the way things should be? How big of a house you live in, what type of clothes you wear, how much money you have, are all questions that come into effect in today’s world. In the novel The Great Gatsby the theme of social class comes into effect quite often. All of the characters constantly pretend to be someone they are not just trying to be noticed by society. The author F. Scott FitzgeraldRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1674 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that was published in 1925 which was a period known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†. During this period, America was witnessing a post war euphoria that was a companied by prosperity, glamour, self-indulgence and excessive consumption (Bloomfield, p. 17). According to Bourdieu, America at that time was going through a gaudiest spree in history that was characterized by a lot o f social change and mobility (p.2). For example, the stock market was gettingRead MoreEssay about Class in F. Scott Fitzgerald ´s The Great Gatsby839 Words   |  4 PagesTo what extent is class important in Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby? One of the most important themes in the novel is the important of class. Fitzgerald makes it evident that the social classes are divided by the setting, the possessions thy have and how that certain individual interacts and behaves with other people. This is shown by Fitzgerald uses powerful adjectives and verbs to portray to the reader what that character is like. I am looking at the importance of class as this is the reasonRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And The Roaring Twenties1131 Words   |  5 Pagesdecade that roared with social amends† it was often referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Two famous literature pieces are very similar connecting key events and issues from this time period. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Ken Allen’s â€Å"Roaring Twenties† both utilize conflict, foil and symbolism to help the readers acknowledge the influence of class and money over the characters during the Roaring Twenties. Conflict is a recurring struggle throughout The Great Gatsby and Ken Allen’s â€Å"RoaringRead MoreMarxist Criticism Of The Great Gatsby1588 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature 14 April 2015 Marxist Criticism of The Great Gatsby Society has evolved to the point where money is the biggest factor in our lives. People spend an incredible amount of time at their workplace for that miniscule pay raise. Money also plays a role in our relationships with the people around us, seen in the fact that people of similar economic status tend to congregate. This desire to gain more money causes conflict, mainly between people who have a great deal of money, and the people who struggleRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By George Orwell1539 Words   |  7 PagesFight Club is the modernised version of The Great Gatsby, when he refers to it as ‘just The Great Gatsby updated a little’. We see when we compare the novels that culture and values have evolved but themes and issues challenging society in the 1920’s world of The Great Gatsby, are still present seventy years later in the 1990’s world of Fight Club. The Great Gatsby is about America’s decline and the fall of the American dream with the struggl e of the classes, and Fight Club is the continuation of this