Social Classes in the Great Gatsby Essay - 3919 Words

1.Introduction F. Scott Fitzgerald is famous as one of the greatest authors of the twenties. He is referred to as a member of the Lost Generation. His books deal with the idealism and the disillusion of the post-World-War-1 decade and also with the struggle of the American society to find spiritual happiness and material wealth (Di Bacco 525). Long describes Fitzgerald as central to the American twenties or historian of the golden twenties. He names the Jazz Age (177). In his novel The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald describes the social circumstances in the USA in the 1920s with typical representatives of in this time existing social classes in the post-war decade. Wilson can be seen as a representative of the poor people of those†¦show more content†¦The only weak moment the reader witnesses is when he learns that Myrtle has been killed. Nick records his reaction: In a little while I heard a low husky sob, and saw that the tears were overflowing his face. `The God damned coward!#8242; he whimpered. `He didn#8242;t even stop his car.#8242; (Fitzgerald 148) But that is altogether how the narrator sees him; Tom sees himself as a refined person, who believes to know about the superiority of the Nordic race, who is standing alone on the last barrier of civilization and has to defend family life and family institutions(Fitzgerald 136). But he fails to see that his own adultery endangers such values and that his social strength only derives from his family#8242;s wealth. Nevertheless, Tom strikes Nick as not being able to be content with what he possesses, as he feels that Tom will drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game. (Fitzgerald 12) Daisy Fay was born into a wealthy family in Louisville, Kentucky. She is eighteen years old and already drives a roadster, one of the best type of cars in those days. Unlike her husband, Daisy is not that self-conscious. All that she wanted to achieve was a wealthy life,Show MoreRelatedExamples Of Social Classes In The Great Gatsby1381 Words   |  6 PagesGreat 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 theRead MoreSocial 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? 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The roaring 20s set a perfect stage for Fitzgerald to use setting to explain the differences between the three social classes in his book. Fitzgerald shows the contrasting features between the West and East Egg in New York. FitzgeraldRead 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 struggle of the classes, and Fight Club is the continuation of thisRead 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 Fitzgeraldà ¢â‚¬â„¢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 MoreSocial Classes And The Lost Generation1343 Words   |  6 PagesBritton Hayman English Composition 3 10/15/15 Social Classes and the Lost Generation The Great Gatsby (2013), based on Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, focuses on a relationship between a man and a woman who belong to different social classes in the 1920s. They are members of the Lost Generation, those in their 20s and 30s in the years immediately following World War I, and spent their lives searching for purpose. The Lost Generation grew up during the war, when most Americans were supporting the war effortRead 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 of social change and mobility (p.2). For example, the stock ma rket was gettingRead 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 Fitzgerald