Essay The Great Gatsby: Differences and Corruption of Classes

In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” author Scott F. Fitzgerald continuously critiques the effect of materialism on the classes of old money and new money, as well as the working class. Fitzgerald also simultaneously conveys the immense attraction that correspond to materialism. This is done throughout the first four chapters through Fitzgerald's use or narrator's perspective, plot and numerous literary devices. Fitzgerald uses his critiques of materialism to also compare the three classes, which he uses to develop the plot in the novel.

In The Great Gatsby, there were primarily three different social classes of the 1920s portrayed in the book. Each was created through the events of the era and was surrounded by its own social and moral climates. One class that existed was “old money”, which were families that lived in the East Egg that and had acquired their fortunes as early

The 1920s brought about extreme change in the way the average American lived their lives, both socially and politically. Immigration, industrialism, and the economy boomed, creating abundant wealth among Americans through new job opportunities. Over time, social class structure was established, bringing fluctuations in the distribution of wealth among the different ranks in society. This period of time, known as the “Roaring Twenties”, is seen in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who uses the characters in the novel to depict the conflict in American society. Gatsby, the central figure of the novel, represents the upper-lower class and attempts to achieve the American Dream, emphasizing the true abilities of lower class citizens. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the restrictions lower class Americans had in their ability to access the American Dream due to the limitations of class mobility towards closed plutocratic societies.

Class structure in the 1920s was synonymous to prejudice. The 1920s was known as a period of wild excess and great parties with excitement arising from the ashes of the wars in America’s history. It was a period in history where rapid materialism and narcissistic ideals grew uncontrollably, and it was the days where Jay Gatsby, illegally, rose to success. Having social classes was the same as segregation, except it was through economic standings, the two both instil injustice within social standards. Class structure was used to describe the difference between the new money and old money. The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, written during the 1920s, emphasizes the division between the social classes and the reasons behind why they

Money is the most important creation in human history. It is the key factor in the creation of modern society: the people with more money are the elite and the ones with less, the plebeians. In “A Critical Social Work Response To Wealth and Income Inequality”, Christine Morley and Phillip Ablett argue that money affects people’s social class and their interactions with others. This is evident in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, through the relationship of Tom and Gatsby. People inertly judge others based on their wealth because they have this mentality instilled in them through their education. Education, as Ablett and Morley argue, is, in fact, the root cause of social inequality.

A social class is a social construct set out to divide us and limit us. However “limiting” has such a negative connotation that it gives social classes so much power over us as a society. A person is born to a social class that will affect their ability to achieve their aspirations in life. For example, If a person is born with a vast amount of wealth their ability to reach their goals will be much easier. However if person is born poor or does not have access to the resources that comes with wealth then that individual’s ambitions will be nearly impossible to make true or sustain forever. In the American novel, The Great Gatsby, the main character Jay Gatsby is the son of two poor farmers.Gatsby being born in a moneyless environment has created

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.

Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby proves that the society of East Egg and West Egg are opposed by the difference between the new rich people and the class of the old moneyed families. Gatsby is aware of the class structure in America because a true meritocracy would just put him in touch with some of the finest people such as Daisy, but as things stand, he is held at arm’s length. Gatsby tries desperately to fake even buying British shirts and claiming to have attended Oxford in an attempt to justify his position in the society.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby he uses vigorous imagery and symbols to contrast the lives and attitudes of the social classes in the 1920s which express the power of social class and money. Fitzgerald creates three different social groups during the novel and in the end each group had their own problem to bottle with. He uses location to separate each social class: the old money lives in the East Egg, the new money lives in the West Egg, and no money live in the Valley of Ashes. The East Egg is the representation of old money.

The Effects of Modern Social Classification From the beginning of time, wealth has not only been the central desire in the world but the ultimate measure of success in one's life. No matter inherited or earned, new or old wealth has grown to be a dividing barrier between one and another. Money is often seen as an indicator of happiness, hard work, and luxury. However, in reality, wealth is merely a way to create a division of society based on social and economic status. To dislocate by definition means to move from its proper place or position.

During the Jazz Age, the evolution of distinct social classes began to influence and shape individuals’ morals. To be a part of the elite society became a priority that people strived to achieve, but only the wealthy succeeded in doing so. By developing distinct social classes — old money, new money, and “the valley of ashes”, representing the class with little money — in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald mirrors Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption to provide vivid descriptions on how elitism influenced the moralities within every level of society during the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald proposes two distinct types of wealthy people in society, first those who are born into their wealth, including people such as Tom Buchanan.

Money is an enigma; it can drive people to perform great or horrible things. It is not clearly positive or negative. It is essentially the engine of our world, giving everyone an incentive to either work or die. Numerous people devote their entire lives to money, as soon as they can they get a part time job at a local store or restaurant, attend a school for something that they know will be lucrative, work a high-income, albeit tedious, 9-5 job for the bulk of their life, storing a couple dollars away every week so that they can finally spend the last few years at a somewhat relaxed state. Unfortunately, this has grown to become the norm.

Throughout what is commonly known as “The Jazz Age”, the social class system was highly important and in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “May Day”, he proves this by portraying how the different roles between social classes exist separately and how they cross paths in New York City on May 1st, 1919. Fitzgerald introduces Jewel Hudson, Gus Rose and Carrol Key as members of the lower class and shows how they are treated differently than the members of the upper class such as Phillip Dean, Peter Himmel, and Edith Bradin. However, Gordon Sterrett finds himself suddenly struggling to keep up with his proper role in the upper class due to financial issues and he feels the ramifications of this change. “May Day” showcases how the upper class and

Gatsby Commentary Essay Within the exposition of the story, Fitzgerald introduces the future issues between economic division of old money to give a background and set the tone for the rest of the story. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald discusses the fall and decline of the American Dream, however this particular passage intends to discuss the economic aspect of old money and how those who belong to it differ from others. There were great differences between the high and low class during the time period of The Great Gatsby, and that is particularly seen through Fitzgerald’s use of money.

In the year 1925 the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is a spectacular novel that explores the American civilization in the 1920s. The novel has many themes that highlight the surrounding times. Two of them are class differences and the deterioration of the American Dream.