Throughout literature, texts have highlighted the multitude of social classes that are prevalent among society. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) demonstrates the difficulty and challenges associated with changing class, and the burden one’s background imposes on societal acceptance. Set during the 1920s, the novel highlights America’s value of material success, demonstrating the dismal reality of the American Dream through Gatsby’s unfulfilling pursuit of his lover, Daisy. Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, throws extravagant parties in an attempt to win Daisy’s love and gain social acceptance among the elite. However, during the conclusion of the novel, it becomes apparent that Gatsby will never be accepted into the social class he desires, due to his upbringing. By adopting a Marxist …show more content…
Through a Marxist lens, it becomes apparent that despite his wealth, Gatsby’s class is restricted due to his lack of old money and the social capital that comes with it. Through a Marxist reading, the dichotomy between the responsibilities and repercussions of the lower and upper class is evident through the protection wealth provides members of the higher classes, including Tom and Daisy. In the novel, Daisy murders Myrtle, which Gatsby takes responsibility for. Instead of facing the consequences, through compensation or acceptance, Daisy avoids the repercussions of murder through avoidance, which her status allows her to do. Those in the upper class are devoid of responsibility, due to generational wealth, and those who are less wealthy, or with less social status, are confined to said responsibilities instead. The novel starkly portrays this imbalance through the tragic outcomes for characters of lower-class status. Nick describes them as having “smashed up things and creatures”. The ‘things’ he refers to include the lives