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Income and wealth inequality sociology
Income and wealth inequality sociology
Income and wealth inequality sociology
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For the rich, pursuing the American Dream defines them; for the poor, the American Dream is an unimaginable reality. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, narrator, Nick Carraway, exposes the harsh realities of pursuing the American Dream and the importance of wealth and opportunity within society. Similarly, in “The Numbers show Rags-to-Riches Happens Only in Movies,” Erin Currier discusses the reliance of success on wealth at birth and struggle for the lower classes to pursue the American dream. Furthermore, in “Science Tests the American Dream”, Orion Jones elaborates on the importance of opportunities in pursuing the American Dream, and tracks the outcomes of 81,000 Americans for 11 years. By providing examples of unequal distribution …show more content…
of wealth, Fitzgerald, Currier, and Jones argue that the pursuit of the American Dream is contingent on economic success and opportunities throughout childhood which prevents any change or progress in changing the class distinctions built within society.
By exposing how economic prosperity is distributed unequally at birth, Fitzgerald and Currier argue that through unequal distribution of wealth, society becomes dependent on the quantity of money at birth which hinders the lower classes from progressing and pursuing the American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, characters like Tom and Daisy are born into families with profuse amounts of money. Their social statuses at birth ensure a future of wealth and success. Other characters like George Wilson are born into lives of poverty and struggle to progress in society. As Nick mentions, “A sense of fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth” (Fitzgerald 2). The fundamental decencies Nick refers to are the demeanor, ethics, and class all associated with money. Essentially Nick expresses his view that those who are born rich succeed the most in life. With the unequal …show more content…
distribution of wealth, being born into a wealthy family is as random as a coin toss. As a result, the pursuit of the American Dream becomes dependent on wealth at birth. Furthermore, in “The Numbers show Rags-to-Riches Happens Only in Movies”, Currier further demonstrates Fitzgerald’s point of view that the pursuit of the American Dream is contingent on the economic success at birth. Typically, in society, growing up with wealth ensures a successful future. According to Currier, “your place on the ladder as a child [is often] a predictor of your place as an adult” (Currier). Consequently, unequal distribution of wealth hinders the possibility of moving up the social ladder. With economic success being dependent on wealth at birth, it makes pursuing the American Dream only realistic for the fortunate and unimaginable for the poor. Overall, Fitzgerald and Currier argue that because success is reliant on wealth throughout childhood, moving up the social ladder is not realistic for the lower classes. Though highlighting the unequal distribution of wealth, Fitzgerald and Jones argue that, the desire to move up in social class leads to the dependence of Americans on opportunities which can further increase the likelihood that they will pursue the American dream. In The Great Gatsby, an opportunity to become rich presents itself to Gatsby and despite its illegal means, it proves to be necessary in order to pursue his American dream.
In a confrontation, Tom reveals that “[Gatsby] and ( . . . ) Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores [in new york] and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.” (Fitzgerald 133). The truth behind Gatsby's success demonstrates that Gatsby understands the importance of opportunities and seizes the chance to become rich, even if distributing alcohol is illegal. Without these crucial opportunities people like Gatsby can not change the class distinctions within society. Therefore, the pursuit of the American Dream is dependent on opportunities since it defines whether people can progress and move up the social ladder. Additionally, Jones in “Science Tests the American Dream”, further expresses the importance of opportunities in pursuing the American Dream. Education in society depends on opportunities. The more opportunities there are to advance in education, the easier it becomes to move up in social class. According to Jones, “more intelligent people [are] able to achieve a better job” (Jones). Intelligence comes from opportunities which provide good education. Not all education is equal and having opportunities to provide tutoring or to advance to college impacts future success. Overall, as a consequence of unequal distribution of wealth, opportunities become important in pursuing
the American Dream. Wealth and education can both be accessible through these opportunities and can make pursuing the American Dream achievable. To conclude, in order to progress and change class distinctions within society, pursuing the American Dream becomes dependent on wealth at birth and opportunities present throughout childhood as a consequence of unequal distribution of wealth. Fitzgerald, Jones, and Currier argue that pursuing the American Dream is not realistic for all social classes. The American Dream is not achievable without wealth at birth and opportunities to advance in society. All Americans want to pursue the American Dream, therefore society needs to distribute its wealth evenly and provide more opportunities so that everyone can achieve the dream.
Gatsby realizes that life of the high class demands wealth to become priority; wealth becomes his superficial goal overshadowing his quest for love. He establishes his necessity to acquire wealth, which allows him to be with Daisy. The social elite of Gatsby's time sacrifice morality in order to attain wealth. Tom Buchanan, a man from an "enormously wealthy" family, seems to Nick to have lost all sense of being kind (Fitzgerald 10). Nick describes Tom's physical attributes as a metaphor for his true character when remarking that Tom had a "hard mouth and a supercilious manner...arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face...always leaning aggressively forward...a cruel body...[h]is speaking voice...added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed" (Fitzgerald 11). The wealth Tom has inherited causes him to become arrogant and condescending to others, while losing his morals. Rather than becoming immoral from wealth as Tom has, Gatsby engages in criminal activity as his only path to being rich. His need for money had become so great that he "was in the drug business" (Fitzgerald 95). Furthermore, he lies to Nick about his past in order to cover up his criminal activity. Gatsby claims to others that he has inherited his wealth, but Nick discovers "[h]is parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby enters a world where money takes precedence over moral integrity. Materialism has already overshadowed a portion of his spiritual side. A quest for true love is doomed for failure in the presence of immorality. Once wealth has taken priority over integrity, members of the high social class focus on immediate indulgences, rather than on long-term pleasures of life such as love.
The American Dream offers opportunity, equality, liberty, and social mobility to those who have lost their place, such as immigrants, African Americans, and white males with little wealth. This national ethos can supposedly be achieved through hard work, and determination with few social barriers. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrates the unreachable American Dream that so many have stopped fighting for. While the American dream may theoretically promise equality for all, social status will either hinder or improve an individual 's chances of success. Through rhetorical strategies such as imagery, symbolism, and diction, Fitzgerald’s interpretation of the American Dream is developed.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s obsessive pursuit of goals suggest that Fitzgerald believe that obsessiveness and constant desires often lead to a wrong psychological impact, destructive of one’s traditions, morals, and would have an unplanned end of the lesson or life.
During the time in our country's history called the roaring twenties, society had a new obsession, money. Just shortly after the great depression, people's focus now fell on wealth and success in the economic realm. Many Americans would stop at nothing to become rich and money was the new factor in separation of classes within society. Wealth was a direct reflection of how successful a person really was and now became what many people strived to be, to be rich. Wealth became the new stable in the "American dream" that people yearned and chased after all their lives. In the novel entitled the great Gatsby, the ideals of the so called American dream became skewed, as a result of the greediness and desires of the main characters to become rich and wealthy. These character placed throughout the novel emphasize the true value money has on a persons place in society making wealth a state of mind.
...on materialism and social class. While novel is widely considered a zeitgeist of the time period, it is also a warning for the American Dream. Although the Dream is not Marxist materialism, it is certainly not traditional individualism and freedom. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby poses a question: what is the American Dream?
Conclude ideas that are related between the great Gatsby & modern society and say how things have changed over time
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, money plays a large role in the character’s lives. Money is used to change their appearances throughout the novel. All the characters use their money in a different way. Gatsby attempts to use his money to win back his one true love, Daisy. Myrtle Wilson uses money she does not have to change her appearance towards others. But others are used to having wealth, and they are experienced in the ways of being rich. These people include Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The narrator, Nick Caraway, moves east searching for wealth, but never achieves that goal. The entire novel is filled with wealth and riches, but is money to be seen as a privilege or a curse? Characters in The Great Gatsby try to recreate themselves using money.
While everyone has a different interpretation of the "American Dream," some people use it as an excuse to justify their own greed and selfish desires. Two respected works of modern American literature, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, give us insight into how the individual interpretation and pursuit of the "American Dream" can produce tragic results. Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, built his "American Dream" upon the belief that wealth would win him acceptance. In pursuit of his dream, Gatsby spent his life trying to gain wealth and the refinement he assumes it entails. Jay Gatsby, lacking true refinement, reflects the adolescent image of the wealthy, and "[springs] from his Platonic conception of himself" (Fitzgerald 104).
The quote, “Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” by Enrich Fromm truly describes the effect greed can cause others. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare various themes are shown throughout. One of the most important themes is greed for wealth and power. These works focus on the impact greed for wealth and power causes on the main character and how it affects their relationships with others. At first, these characters are so infatuated by what they want that they do not realize the harm they are causing. However, as these works continue each character reaches a moment of epiphany realizing how
Benjamin Franklin once said “Money has never made man happy, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness." This is arguably one of the most cliché quotes of all time. If money cannot provide happiness, then what exactly can it do? The characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan open a door to a world in which money was the sole motivation for their success and the only reason for their power. When the reader uses a Marxist critical lens during chapter four of F. Scott 's Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, the social hierarchy reveals how Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan utilize the importance of money and social power to manipulate others in their lives.
Three works Cited Materialism started to become a main theme of literature in the modernist era. During this time the economy was good causing jazz to be popular, bootlegging common, and an affair meaning nothing (Gevaert). This negative view of money and the gross materialism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby serves to be a modern theme in the novel. Throughout the novel, the rich possess a sense of carelessness and believe that money yields happiness.
Ex-President Jimmy Carter knows both the power and the limitations of money. He is also aware that the acquisition of money or material wealth is not a worthwhile goal. This was made clear in his speech to the American people when he stated: "Our great cities and our mighty buildings will avail us not if we lack spiritual strength to subdue mere objects to the higher purposes of humanity" (Harnsberger 14). In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the author clearly illustrates that Jay Gatsby does not understand the limitations of the power of money. Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past, buy him happiness, and allow him to climb the social ladder in the prominent East Egg.
In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream as well as the portrayal of social classes. Fitzgerald carefully sets up his novel into distinct social groups but, in the end, each group has its own problems to contend with, leaving a powerful reminder of what a precarious place the world really is. By creating two distinct social classes ‘old money’ and ‘new money’, Fitzgerald sends strong messages about the elitism underlying and moral corruption society. The idea of the American dream is the ideal that opportunity is available to any American, allowing their highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. In the case of The Great Gatsby it centres on the attainment of wealth and status to reach certain positions in life,
Money, Love, and Death Children who are born into the lowest group of income in the United States have a 42% chance of remaining in that class; meanwhile, they only have a 1% chance moving up to the highest class. Based on this information, there is a very minute chance someone would be able to acquire the wealth they might strive for, no matter how hard they would work for it. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is first portrayed as an incredibly wealthy man who lives in a mansion and throws extravagant parties every weekend. Little does it mention his life growing up, as someone who lacked a great deal of money to fall back on. This is a key point of information which is touched upon later on in the novel.
Money is the center for many people. Money drives people to places they never thought possible. Money can cause people to forget about the things going on around them. THis happens throughout the great Gatsby many times. Throughout the Great Gatsby Daisy and Gatsby focus on wealth and lose sight of each other's company When Gatsby and Daisy were together before he didn’t have any money so Daisy ended up leaving him for tom who was wealthy.