The Wolf Of Wall Street Character Analysis

The Wolf of Wall Street is a movie about Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who starts at a small stock broking company. Belfort’s character is easily seen as a charming guy who wants to live the lavish life to the fullest. Belfort starts as a rookie for in the stock broking industry where he works for Mark Hanna. Hanna’s character foreshadows some of the issues that Belfort will face later in the movie, for example, Hanna gives him tips on how to deal with the daily stresses of the job, such as masturbating several times a day, using cocaine and soliciting prostitutes. Forward a couple months later, Belfort gets his broking license and at the same time the stock market suffered a crash in which the broking company he works for goes out of business. However, Belfort moves on to start his own broking company selling penny stocks and realizes he could really make lots of money off of vulnerable people who want to get rich quick. As a result, he starts his own company, Stratton Oakmont, in which his meets his company partner, Donnie Azoff, who also introduces Belfort to cocaine. As Belfort grows insanely wealthy he becomes more power hungry and participates in many illegal deeds. Predominantly, securities fraud, in addition to the use

of drugs and prostitutes.
Throughout the film of The Wolf of Wall Street, the audience can see the difference in convictions of white collar crimes versus blue-collar crimes. For instance, when Belfort’s friend, Brad Bodnick, is caught with a suit case of cash by the police, he is immediately arrested. However, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds out about his money laundering in Switzerland, they offer Belfort an option of serving time in prison or get a reduced sentence if he agrees to wear a wire. Once the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds out that he had warned Donnie about being wired, he is placed in a special prison solely for white collar criminals. Moreover, it is possible to say that the rush felt when Belfort gets an investor on board is probably the reason for which he finds it necessary to find other ways to feel a similar rush, which results in the use of drugs and his sexual affairs. Another probable reason might be because Belfort feels that as a rich male in his class he has to live up to the name. likewise, in a natural environment, a typical alpha wolf has the responsibilities of leading its pack. Belfort throws many parties that usually involve heavy drinking, drugs and lots of sex to meet the expectations of his guests. In addition, towards the end of the film he refuses to incriminate Azoff, which backfires because Azoff tips off the federal investigators, but Belfort felt the need to protect his own as if they really were brothers. Belfort’s necessity to be the alpha in his pack and reckless behavior causes him to lose everything.
Furthermore, in The Wolf of Wall Street, in addition to white collar crimes it also touches on the issue of gender stratification. Gender inequality is most obviously seen toward the ending of the movie. Danielle Harrison, an employee of Stratton Oakmont, is used to entertain the whole company by getting her head shaved, in return Harrison gets ten thousand dollars to buy breast implants. The majority of the women that come across Belfort and his male friends are rather his secretaries or prostitutes. They are not part of his inner circle, which consists of his male friends, but instead his subordinates. The women are portrayed as being incapable to reach Belfort’s level of wealth or status. Additionally, in some of the scenes in which Belfort and his second wife, Naomi Lapaglia, is never truly satisfied when they have sexual intercourse. Both Lapaglia and the prostitutes are used as sex toys for Belfort. Not to mention, Belfort himself points out that Lapaglia is nothing but a house wife who enjoys spending his money. Moreover, Lapaglia’s aunt, Emma, is also used as a tool by Belfort. Belfort uses Aunt Emma’s name as an alias for his Swiss bank account used to launder money. All in all, the females are characterized as subordinates to the males and mere tools for entertainment or personal advantage.
The film of The Wolf of Wall Street explores issues such as gender stratification, but mainly focuses on white collar crime, in which the main character, Jordan Belfort, is power hungry and takes all necessary risks to get what he wants.

None the less, his crazy behavior, mostly drug induced, leads him to be convicted and sent to prison. Although his illegal acts finally catch up with him, his punishment was not as harsh as it would have been if he would have been a blue collar, because once he is released from prison he lands right back on his feet by becoming a motivational speaker. On the other hand, can one say that Belfort continues right where left off with his success or has he started from square one all over

again?