"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is not a Marxist book, but it contains a few elements of the Marxist perspective and criticism of capitalism. “Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after the 19th-century German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. His work examines the historical effects of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development, and argues that a worker revolution is needed to replace capitalism with a communist system.” (Brock; Schmitt, 2023). Following the Marxist theory, capitalism is a system that oppresses the working class while consolidating wealth and power in the hands of a small ruling class. In "The Great Gatsby," characters from various social classes are used to illustrate …show more content…
They put in a lot of hours for little pay, and they lack any means of escaping their social and economic positions. The wealthy characters in the narrative, on the other hand, do not work in the traditional sense and instead, live off the profits from their investments and inherited riches. For example, Tom and Daisy Buchanan appear to have no genuine work or profession and instead live a life of leisure and luxury. They are, therefore, represented as living off the labor of others while making no genuine contributions to society. Jay Gatsby, the novel's main character, is also an interesting case study from a Marxist perspective. Gatsby is a self-made man who made money through illegal bootlegging and gambling. Even though he throws lavish parties and shows off his wealth, he still doesn't belong in the circle of the old-money elite. Despite all his wealth, he is not accepted by the upper class and is ultimately rejected by Daisy due to his working-class upbringing. It can be seen as a critique of the American dream, which promises that hard work and consistent effort will lead to success and social mobility. However, class barriers and inequality often stop this from