Class System In The Great Gatsby

Words: 1255
Pages: 6
Open Document
The difference in class in The Great Gatsby caused major problems. F. Scott Fitzgerald made it clear that during the time he wrote the book, a class system was present and it separates characters based upon their financial standings. He showed how each class was treated based on how much money they had. From high class to low class The Great Gatsby displays all ranges that come with the class system. The biggest divided that made a character pure of class or impure was whether or not they were “Old Money” or “New Money”.. The difference between the two classes based off whether or not you inherited your money, or worked to gain it. In East Egg lived the “Old Money”, characters who received their money from inheritance and believed that since …show more content…
Tom who belongs to the most elitist group, which he makes sure not to treat Gatsby or any of Gatsby’s friends with the respect that someone with “old money” would be treated. When Gatsby and Tom meet for the first time he automatically does not like Gatsby because of his ways. He begins to become very suspicious of Gatsby and his ways of making money. Tom begins to think that Gatsby cannot be telling the truth with the way he receives his money. This goes to show that Tom believes that he belongs to a better and higher class than Gatsby because he doesn’t know how Gatsby makes his money so he automatically thinks that he gets involved with the wrong people. Tom thinks since Gatsby didn’t inherit his wealth that he shouldn’t be able to be a part of the “old money” society. Gatsby believes that he should be able to be a part of the “old money” society because he has just as much wealth as Tom. But what Gatsby doesn’t realize, Tom inherited his money unlike Gatsby. Gatsby worked for his money, which in society’s eyes makes him of a lower class than Tom. “Fitzgerald clearly intends for Gatsby’s Dream to be symbolic of the American Dream for wealth and youth. Gatsby genuinely believes that if a person makes enough money and amasses a great enough fortune, he can buy anything”. (Best Notes) This quote explains that Gatsby believes with all of his money that he has …show more content…
Old money who are pure of wealth and the not so wealthy which come from the valley of the ashes. Daisy inherits her money from a rich Midwestern family. Throughout the novel Daisy appears in multiple shades of white to represent her purity of class. Myrtle plays her polar opposite. Mrs. Wilson come from the valley of ashes, a place that got the name because of the gray that represents nothing but the hard working lower class. She married George Wilson thinking that he had more money than he actually did. Once she realizes that she will never have the money and lavish life she dreamed of, she turns to different measures to try to reach her dream. Myrtle begins having an affair on her husband with Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan. Throughout the book, Myrtle wears shades of red and purple to symbolize her efforts at being “royalty like”. Later on in the book the two women do share a common interest, they both have affair on their husbands for someone they see as being wealthy and more better off than their current husband's. Their greed for money gets Myrtle killed and makes Daisy a murderer. Daisy can be seen as the better woman, but the only reason why could be because she was blessed to be born into a rich family and marry someone within the same class as
Show More

Related Documents: Class System In The Great Gatsby

Mobility In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby: Driving to Destruction with the Rich and Careless at the Wheel, Jacqueline Lance equates the personalities and characteristics of the characters in The Great Gatsby to the characteristics of their respective automobiles, suggesting stationary character personas. Just as Lance suggests a lack of mobility in character personalities through her analysis of The Great Gatsby and the prevalence of automobiles, F. Scott Fitzgerald proposes a lack of mobility within the class system. This…

Words 990 - Pages 4

Examples Of Egalitarianism In The Great Gatsby

of wealth, power, and the romantic conquest of women. Author John Callahan comments that “Fitzgerald embodied in his tissues and nervous system the fluid polarities of American experience: success and failure, illusion and disillusion, dream and nightmare” (374). So many people in today’s world are under the illusion that the…

Words 2530 - Pages 11

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The marxist critical theory critiques capitalism and its overall success. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has many critiques of the capitalist system through this particular lens. The book critiques capitalism through its views on the classes of America during the 1920s. The very opening of The Great Gatsby sets the tone for a book about society and class. We know immediately that the narrator is privileged, and that he is painfully conscious of it. In the beginning Nick talks about his…

Words 322 - Pages 2

What American Dream? Essay

years will show how much resistance there is in the American race. There has never been an American tragedy. There have only been great failures.” Fitzgerald uttered these words to an interviewer, sent to talk with one of the great writers of the 20th century, two years after The Great Gatsby was published. Two more years passed, Wall Street crashed, another great American failure. While some in Fitzgerald’s own time thought this outlook gloomy, as well as impossible, sitting in the relative…

Words 1125 - Pages 5

gatsby back from the grave Essay

obstacles, and an ultimate goal of self-knowledge. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald does not resemble the grandiose adventures of fairytale adventures, but his quest is one that will resonate within American culture for ages. An iconic aspect of this novel is Jay Gatsby’s chase for Daisy. Gatsby’s quest for Daisy, on the surface, appears to be a matter of love. From his life as a poor farmer, slyly maneuvering his wealth through a system of illegal activity, and eventually owning a colossal…

Words 970 - Pages 4

The Critical Reception Of The Great Gatsby

2014 Argument Essay In the document “The Critical Reception of The Great Gatsby” Fitzgerald’s novel is being strictly evaluated by many critics. The majority of the critics view The Great Gatsby, simply put, as a dud. I disagree with the judgments made by these inadequate critics, because a great deal of them are overlooking the realness of the theme in the book. It is real because back then events like the ones in The Great Gatsby were happening in real life, but not on the same extent or level.…

Words 674 - Pages 3

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby Contents 摘要…………………………………………………………………..2 Abstract……………………………………………………………….3 1.Introduction 1.1 A brief description of F. Scott Fitzgerald……………………................4 1.2 Colours and its symbolic significances…………………………………5 2. Colours in The Great Gatsby 2.1 Red—— The Jazz Age……………………………………….................7 2.2 White —— The Upper Class……………………………………….......8 2.3 Green ——Aspiration ……………………………………………...9-10 3. Other Colours in The Great Gatsby…

Words 2520 - Pages 11

Essay on Gatsby Socratic Prep

Spencer Yen Ritchie 5 MAP English 11H 10 March 2015 The Great Gatsby Socratic Prep 1. The character of Owl-Eyes (who appropriately is not given a real name) primarily plays along with the motif of impartial eyes constantly observing the events that play out. His impartial view as a random stranger who attends Gatsby’s parties is invaluable to the biased characters who primarily dictate the novel. Despite only appearing two times throughout the novel, both appearances recognize Gatsby’s unlikely authenticity…

Words 1430 - Pages 6

The Great Gatsby and Great Expectations: A Comparison Essay

and the common folk. One can find examples of social caste systems in any time period. Over time, social standards have changed, but one thing has not. Those who possess wealth are thought to also possess happiness. From the outside looking in, the common man always believes that the wealthy live happier lives. But two landmark authors portray a different story. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and F. Scot Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, both show that in order to be truly happy, one must reject…

Words 957 - Pages 4

Fast Lane In The Great Gatsby

roll fiend. Their lives, full of vibrancy, excitement, and a recklessness, mirror the mannerisms of the wealthy class during the setting of the Great Gatsby. However, the difference between the two is that during the 20s as opposed to the 70s that comprised the rock and roll era, there existed a dream to have that lifestyle full of wealth and glamor. This craze led to a hierarchical system that developed distinct social classes. Thus, car, car maintenance, and reckless driving are used as metaphors…

Words 1509 - Pages 7