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Sociological Analysis Of The Great Gatsby
Social relations in the great gatsby
How fitzgerald used symbolism in the great gatsby
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In the history of world literature, American literature became one of the most popular genres of works. This period hosted many of the greatest authors, and their names even dwell to this day. The author’s novels always present many similar themes, and one of the themes is social classes. Social classes consist of the novel’s characters’ social structure which includes wealth, status, reputation, and education of each character. An example of social classes, outside of the literature realm, is presented thoroughly by the United States’ social classes. In the United States, there are five different social classes. According to Thompson and Hickey’s Society in Focus, today’s social classes include the part-time or unemployed, the clerical or …show more content…
Francis Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, and this work is still popular today. During the time the book was written, the 1920s, it was an era of indulgence and wealth. Fitzgerald tried to connect the theme with real world situations with the help of social classes. That is why the characters in the novel are separated by where they work and how wealthy they are. Three main characters appeared in the book: Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway, and Jay Gatsby. The author classifies the classes as ‘old money’ and ‘new money.' People in the old money group, Daisy and Tom, are considered to be extremely wealthy and can be seen as the high class. They are also known to have been educated by an Ivy League school. Old class people are known to have social connections The people in the new money class is Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, who is considered to have recently become wealthy. To demonstrate the separation of characters, Nick says the following “I lived at West Egg, the – well, the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (9), and also “…so I had a view of thew water, a partial view of my neighbor’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires - all for eighty dollars a month. (9). The quote shows Nick explains how his social class is different from the old money dependent on his wealth. Fitzgerald encloses the theme in the book to show how a social class/status can affect the
Chapter 1: Chapter one introduces the reader to the narrator Nick Halloway and most of the other other characters of the story. Including his cousin daisy, her husband tom and their friend jordan - the golfer. Nick comes from a wealthy family; however, doesn’t believe in inheriting their wealth. Instead he wishes to earn his own wealth by selling bonds in the stock market. Chapter one also talks about the separation of the rich. Where the east egg represents the inherently rich whereas west egg represents the newly rich. The people in the east also seem to lack social connections and aristocratic pedigree. Whereas the people in west egg possess all those qualities usually lacked by people in the east.With nick living
The narrative point of view adopted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby supports the novel's criticism of the upper class and the importance of wealth in society. Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway as the narrator who views the upper class as entirely superficial. Through his observation of people at Gatsby's party, at the beginning of chapter three, Nick seems to feel that the wealthy are clones of a stereotype accepted and created by themselves. To him it seems as though this society is based on appearance and recognition and judges people according to how much they own rather than what they believe in. Nick's criticisms are accepted by the reader as impartial because Nick is the only major character who is not preoccupied with wealth. This is established in the first few pages of the novel where Nick describes himself and his upbringing in a manner that immediately secures the trust of the reader. This allows Nick to act as a measure for other characters who are in a relentless pursuit of money and power.
In the book, The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott Fitzgerald, there seems to be conflict between old money and new money. New money meaning that they have inquired wealth recently, and old money meaning they have inherited the money from their ancestors and have been building up their powerful social connections for many years. Fitzgerald portrays new money as being reckless and unwise with their wealth by lavishly spending their money on new cars,new clothes and parties. On the other side of the spectrum, old money individuals are presented as being more responsible and knowing how to handle their money. The difference between these two social classes goes beyond the way they spend money, but, in their personalities also; the new money groups tend to be more caring and lacking in social graces while old money are deeply selfish and inconsiderate. This conflict between the two ranks is very interesting in that even though the book takes place in the 1920s, this concept is fully evident in our society today.
To begin with, social class has always been of great importance in society, more money means more power and more respect. Friendship and acquaintances are based purely on whom someone is in contact with and how much fame and money they have. In the “Great Gatsby”, Fitzgerald presents two distinct types of wealthy people. First, there are people like the Buchanan’s and Jordan Baker who were born into wealth. Their families have had money for many generations; hence they are "old money”. The “old money” people, Daisy, Tom, Jordan and their social class, are considered the elite group; the societies highest. They are judgmental and superficial failing to look at the emotions of the people around them and sometimes them selves. “It’s a b****’, said Tom decisively. ‘Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it”(Fitzgerald, 30). Tom is very aggressive verbally and nonverbally, he thinks he’s always right and likes bossing people around, to show them that he has power over them. All the “elite” are superior and never questioned as with their influence they can do anything. Second there are people like Gatsby who are from a l...
Social classes have been around since the beginning of time. Most people are lead to believe that rich people live in beautiful and extravagant homes, throw luxurious parties and do not give a damn about keeping it a secret. The poor people are happy to have a roof over their heads and have food on the table and will work their asses off to make a penny. The higher the class that someone is in, the better that person’s life is perceived to be and vice-versa. There is old money versus new money, which determines which side of town one lives on. Everyone knows the difference in social classes and is able to see where most people fit in. In the classic novel, The Great Gatsby, the reader is exposed to many things that show a difference in social class that sadly, still exist in today. Most people have a dream of being in a certain class; whether they ever get to experience it or not, the dream is there. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, shows how social class plays a theme in the story.
Nick's neighbor Gatsby is a wealthy person, who spends a lot of money giving parties for strangers only to meet Daisy, the dream of his life. He is seen as representing "new money" because he has no good education and no family background over several generations, he is self-made, invented by himself. For this reason, he is not accepted as being dignified enough to enter the exclusive "old money" upper class.
The Great Gatsby “The Great Gatsby”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, depicts the vast social difference between the old aristocrats, the new self-made rich and the poor. He vividly interprets the social stratification during the roaring twenties as each group has their own problems to deal with. Old Money, who have fortunes dating from the 19th century, have built up powerful and influential social connections, and tend to hide their wealth and superiority behind a veneer of civility. The New Money made their fortunes in the 1920s boom and therefore have no social connections and tend to overcompensate for this lack with lavish displays of wealth. As usual, the No Money gets overlooked by the struggle at the top, leaving them forgotten or ignored.
During Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, it is apparent to be an absurd time for the wealthy. The shallowness of money, riches, and a place in a higher social class were probably the most important components in most lives at that period of time. This is expressed clearly by Fitzgerald, especially through his characters, which include Myrtle Wilson, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and of course, Jay Gatsby. This novel was obviously written to criticize and condemn the ethics of the rich.
The origin of wealth is a key factor for deciding which social class each character in The Great Gatsby belong to. Jay Gatsby is the character who made the greatest social mobility. The other characters use him for his parties and hospitality but they do not consider him as an equal. This is something that is evident particularly on page 66 in the novel when Gatsby tells his story to Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, and Nick describes Gatsby's phrases as so threadbare they lack credibility. No matter how much money Gatsby makes he is never going to be good enough for either Daisy or the other characters.
Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, there is a constant theme present: social class. Fitzgerald makes a connection between the theme of social class, and the settings in the novel for example The Valley of Ashes which is described as a “desolate area of land” (p.21) and a “solemn dumping ground” (p.21) which is where the poor people live. The Valley of Ashes is situated between West Egg and New York, West Egg being the place where the aspiring classes are situated, which is the “less fashionable of the two” (p.8), this is where Gatsby lives. West Egg is the place of ‘new money’, Fitzgerald shows this by the idea of the main character Jay Gatsby, rumoured to be selling illegal alcohol (prohibition) which means he is quickly making vast amounts of money.” Who is this Gatsby anyhow? Some big bootlegger?”(p.86) Gatsby shows off the amount of wealth he has by his fabulous parties and oversized mansion. “There was music from my neighbour's house through those summer nights. In his enchanted gardens, men and girls came and went like moths, among the whispering and the champagne and the stars.”(p.33) Fitzgerald uses the word ‘enchanted’ to paint a visual picture of what the house and the scene looks like, a magical and enchanted castle, with elegant furniture. This is in comparison to East Egg where Tom and Daisy Buchanan live, in a house where “The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside” (p.10). East Egg being the place of ‘old money’ which is made from the inheritance of their past generations, the people who live it East Egg are mainly well educated, historically wealthy and live quite elegantly, but they are also quite ‘snobbish’. Gatsby’s background does not fit into the social standards of East Egg...
The 1920's was a time of great economic prosperity and many people became rich and wealthy. Some people inherited "old money" and some obtained "new money". However, there was the other side of prosperity and many people also suffered the nightmare of being poor. In the novel eThe Great Gatsbyf, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a wealthy character who lives in a mansion. However, Nick Carraway, the protagonist of the novel and next door neighbour of Jay Gatsby, is an average man who does not have the fortunes that Gatsby has. He is gtoo poorh. Nick Carraway is part of the middle class in society while Gatsby is in the upper class of society.
The theme of society and class was evident throughout The Great Gatsby. The novel goes into great depth about the theme of society and class and the divisions of rich and poor. It is apparent that the author, Scott F. Fitzgerald, believes that the “American Dream” has been corrupted into a yearning for money and materialistic items. With that said, Fitzgerald uses the theme of society and class to show society that the idea of the “American Dream” is unattainable.
The "American Dream" supposedly allows everyone to climb the "social/economic ladder," if they wish to do so. Anyone that works hard is supposed to be able to move to a higher class. However, society often prevents social mobility. Social classes dictate who moves to a higher class and who does not. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, this issue was especially prevalent. The rigidity of classes was often an underlying theme in many novels during this time period. For example, The Age of Innocence and The Great Gatsby both feature the exclusive nature of social classes as a motif. In both The Age of Innocence and The Great Gatsby, the rigidity of social classes and the desire for social mobility leads to the downfall of several
The Great Gatsby social class revolution F. Scott Fitzgerald in “The Great Gatsby ” he presents ideas of America social class revolution which is a massive change in society for those who chase the American dream. The American dream is different for everyone but involves security and success. An example of social class revolution would be Mrs. Wilson Tom's mistress. Mrs.Wilson whose lifeless husband George owns a run down garage in the valley of ashes. Mrs.wilson herself possesses a fierce vitality and desperately looks for a way to improve her situation.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby classes are very much defined based on the view society gives one, the society views class as ones social and economic standing. Many people in the novel try to pretend they are something they are not and society will always see them as one class the one they were born into. The characters may try but because of the society views on them they will never achieve their desired class standing. On the other side of the class system there are the high class individuals which do not need to try to pretend, because they were born into their class they already have what the desire. Class is the society’s view vas one as individual based on money and family past.