Examples Of Social Class In The Great Gatsby

Sometimes, people fail to fit in among their peers for a variety of reasons. In social situations, people often look down on specific groups or individuals for not fitting in. Sometimes people’s interests and behavior are too different from what is considered the norm, and they will be labeled as strange and unlikable. In other cases, they may be excluded because they come from a background or social class that causes people to look down on them. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel The Great Gatsby this occurs in the case of Jay Gatsby, who, despite his mansion, massive parties, and fancy car, never truly fits in among the people around him. By looking at Gatsby’s wealth, we can see that he is upper class and should be familiar with the opinions

Being wealthy means they can enjoy the privilege of not having to take responsibility for their actions, so they have little regard for the damage their decisions do to others. Contrastingly, Gatsby is shown to be much more cautious, passive, and self-aware. He even goes out of his way to avoid causing problems. While describing her experience interacting with Gatsby, a guest at his party claims that “He doesn’t want any trouble with anybody” (Fitzgerald 43). The group of girls goes on to speculate that Gatsby’s odd behavior is a result of his mysterious past, theorizing that he could be a spy or a murderer. Because his behavior is considered uncharacteristic for someone in his class, it generates rumors about him that make him even more of an outcast in the eyes of the people around him, both the wealthy who look down on him and the poor who look up to

The gap between him and the other upper-class New Yorkers is further defined when he is sarcastically invited out to lunch with the Sloane and Buchanans, who have no plans to actually spend time with him, Nick recalls that “Gatsby looked at me questioningly. He wanted to go, and he didn’t see that Mr. Sloane had determined he shouldn’t[…] ‘My god, I believe the man’s coming,’ said Tom. ‘Doesn’t he know she doesn’t want him?’” (103). Tom has no trouble picking up on Mrs. Sloane’s reluctance to be around Gatsby, while Gatsby himself is confused by the false invitation. The Sloanes and Buchanans are both very wealthy people, but there is a clear difference between how they treat each other and how they treat Gatsby. He is perceived as inferior because he earned his money through business, instead of inheriting it from his