What Is The Central Idea Of Social Class In The Great Gatsby

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Society has developed the concept of social class to categorize people into different groups based on economic, political, and socio-economic status. This system of social stratification contributes to the difficulties that the middle and lower classes have to experience in order to succeed in the United States. The idea of social class has been a central concept in determining the opportunities a person is capable of having. People from different socioeconomic backgrounds live different lifestyles as well as have different opportunities available to them. Because of this idea, people with a higher social class ranking have an advantage over those in lower class rankings. America is a place where all people are supposed to be equal, but social class has created divisions in society. In The Great Gatsby, money is a huge motivator in the characters’ relationships, motivations, and outcomes. Most of the characters prove themselves to be highly materialistic, their motivations driven by their desire for wealth and power. Both Daisy and Myrtle compete over Tom because of the privileged lifestyle he can provide them. “full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . .” (7.106). The highest status in society comes with …show more content…

Todays upper class enjoy similar lifestyles as proven by the round-the-clock private parties which are occupied with 5 figure bottles of champagne and chains of exotic vehicles lining the driveways. Although the two groups are from different times, the rich are always going to enjoy the most expensive and be the most powerful. A significant difference between the two groups is the large area of opportunity that the modern era offers as technology progresses, enabling anyone with the driver and resources to achieve their “American

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