Social classes represent the hidden structure of America, as well as in several other countries in the world. If one is unsatisfied with the social class they are born into, however, is it possible for them to change it? The answer is yes, they can, as per evidence from real life situations and from The Great Gatsby. Some might say that it is impossible to change the social class one is born into. In their opinion, if that person is born poor, consequently they will certainly die poor.
Can social class be changed.? The novel, The Great Gatsby, coquets this question. When this inquiry is argued, two main stances tend to arise. In one instance, changing social class is said to be an attainable goal; however, in opposition to that argument, the correct stance to take on this states that social class, at least as it pertains to this novel, is an immutable part of all peoples lives. The opposing platform believes social class can be changed based on the assumption that anyone could do anything if they work hard enough.
In life those who surround us have the greatest effect upon our lives. A person’s ability to collect friends of a certain social class is vital to the type of life that they will live. Although it is the dream of all people to live with immense wealth, the others of the same social standard can tend to act in a way that can damage the people around them. A result of being surrounded by this type of person is seen in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, in which many characters are hurt by the behavior of the rich people around them. In this novel three characters, Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson, play important roles in explaining how social classes cause society to become dysfunctional and can lead to chaos and even death.
Even when your life seems to be put together, it can fall apart instantly. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he takes us through the 1920s when people's social status was separated into the East Egg (new money) and West Egg (old money). People of the time ended up doing anything when it came to keeping their wealth. Gatsby came from nothing, but when he had everything, he could not hold on to it due to greed. Money changes people.
A person being elevated from the sea rejoices until they find themselves in the crushing pressure of space; as money helps people ascend from one world of problems, it crushes them in the pressure of an entirely new world of expectations. The Great Gatsby tells the story of Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby in 1920s New York and the love triangle between the three, as told by Nick Carraway, shaped by the limitations and expectations of each of their respective economic statuses. The roles of each character within their gender identity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status influence their autonomy. Social expectations and norms based on economic status control most, if not all, of the lives of the characters. It is the reason Gatsby was unable to marry
Society is obsessed with forward progression, but even with this contemporary societal ideology we cannot shed the shackles of the past. With each step forward in trying to rid the world of these harmful realities of the past, we cannot completely move on due to the nature of society being built on the shoulders of history. In current society strong movements attempt to rid the world of such fallacies such as racism, classism, and patriarchal influences. But even with such strong movements, we fail to see the main chain to the past, religion. Religion, whether intended to or not, fosters a hurtful message underneath the directive of understanding.
Jay Gatsby, the protagonist in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, is trapped in a romantic haze where he is unable to see the events happening around realistically. This haze prevents Gatsby from making true connections with the objects and people that surround him. Gatsby 's wanting to recreate the past, his unrealistic dreams of Daisy, his need to connect with nature, and his desire to be rich demonstrate his being a romantic dreamer, thereby restraining him from making realistic connections with others.
Living rich, living poor, and living life in between. During the 1920’s life in New York was booming, unemployment rates were low, partying was high, families were happy. After World War II people were happy getting to see loved ones who had gone to fight. People partied all the time, constantly, weekly. Life in New York during the 1920’s was always exciting if you knew the right people.
Gatsby says that Daisy’s “voice is full of money” (p115). Discuss. The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It was set mainly in Long Island and New York during the period of 1922.
Jay Gatsby is the American dream and demonstrates how to achieve it through hard work, money, and being in the right place and the right time. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows readers that in the 1920’s it was the time to be alive and go for the dream. He wants readers to be left with some hope of coming from nothing and ending up being happy. Even though Gatsby ends up dying in the end, he has done everything right to reach the American Dream and sets an example for others. It was as if Gatsby was running down like an overwound clock.
In chapter one, Nick Carraway says, “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (Fitzgerald 1). Here, Nick is trying to explain to Gatsby how the upper class rarely seems to realize the problems that the lower classes face. Due to Jay Gatsby’s higher standing within society, he rarely seems to fully comprehend the atrocities of the lower class. Gatsby bases his so-called ‘superiority’ on his money, rather than his actions.
F. Scoot Fitzgerald has intrigued his audience with a story of a hopeless romantic who was known by many and loved by few. In the Great Gatsby we are introduced to the main character James Gatsby. He desperately tries to complete his life based on a mere illusion of love. In both the film and book we are able to see how the author portrays different aspects of Gatsby’s life. In the film version (2013) and novel we are able to see how Social Class and symbolism are similar but differ in characterization.
The American Dream is originally about the discovery of success, but by the 1920´s, this dream took a different path; a path where people fought for the desire of wealth by any means in a battle between what was considered legal vs. moral. This mentality was product of capitalism, which introduces the mentality that money would bring happiness and success. This is why F. Scott Fitzgerald creates each setting of The Great Gatsby with a purpose, whether it was to illustrate how the roaring twenties changed the American society, or to symbolize how each setting represent the mentality of each character from the novel. The Great Gatsby tells the story of Jay Gatsby and his life into the world of the social elite as he works to gain Daisy's love. Fitzgerald focuses on how money and wealth can create a change in people, and throughout the novel, the setting represents part of this message, each location representing a different social class and a different perspective of life among the ones living in it.
Jay Gatsby, the title character of the novel “The Great Gatsby” is a man that can not seem to live without the love of his life. Trying to win Daisy over consumes Gatsby’s life as he tries to become the person he thinks she would approve of. What most readers do not realize is that Jay Gatsby’s character mirrors many personality traits and concerns that the author of novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, had. In fact, Gatsby and Fitzgerald are similar in that they both had a girl they wanted to win over, took a strong stance on alcohol, and ironically both had similar funerals, also, both people also symbolize the American dream.
In The Great Gatsby, social status is a significant element in the book as it separates the haves from the have nots. However more importantly, social status portrays the personalities of people belonging to different classes. In the end, you are stuck in the class you are born into, and attempting to change classes only leads to tragedy and heartbreak. In The Great Gatsby, there are three main social classes portrayed. These are old money, new money, and no money.
