Class Disparity In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Analysis is the death of feeling” writes philosopher F.H Bradley, and so follows literary genius F.Scott Fitzgerald. Sometimes, the only way to shed light on a prominent social issue is to evoke emotion and the imagination. With his elegantly crafted prose in his The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald, rather than trying to explicate the socio-political problems of his time through academic research, chooses to examine them through a richly-imaginative story. Through the use of striking imagery, free-flowing symbolism, and descriptive characterization, Fitzgerald inspects the problem of capitalism-induced class disparity in his novel.

The author employs vivid imagery to explore the problem of class disparity engendered by capitalism, serving as a philosophical

Jung believed that "what you resist, persists "and this concept is evident in the novel as the characters struggle with their conflicting desires and motivations. Through the embodiment of different facets of the American Dream, the characters in the novel serve as powerful symbols of the disillusionment that arises when wealth and status are pursued as the ultimate goals of life. The character of Jay Gatsby embodies the ideals of ambition and idealism associated with the American Dream, while the character of Tom Buchanan represents the corruption and moral decay that can accompany the pursuit of wealth.Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and the archetypes it contains provides a framework for understanding the characters in the novel and the societal forces they embody. According to Jung, "the archetypes are the timeless myths, the ancient stories that have been told in every culture since the dawn of humanity." Gatsby embodies the archetypal figure of the hero, driven by a sense of purpose and a desire to achieve his goals. In contrast, Tom represents the archetypal figure of the shadow, embodying the negative traits and impulses that lurk within the human psyche. Through their interactions and conflicts, these characters reveal the deeper psychological and social forces at play in American society, illuminating the ways in which the pursuit of wealth and status can lead to moral decay and disillusionment. Fitzgerald's use of characterization and dialogue is particularly effective in illuminating the class tensions and class-based attitudes that pervade American society. The interactions between Gatsby and Tom, such as the infamous scene in which Tom says to Gatsby, "I've got a nice place here, and I don't want to have any trouble with anybody," highlight the contrasting perspectives and values of