Gender Roles In The Great Gatsby

During the 1920's the population was divided into groups dependent on race, gender and wealth. This can be seen in The Great Gatsby where society is segregated into the upper, middle and lower classes. Additionally, females and people of colour were disadvantaged compared to white males. Society was wholly structured around classes with the lower class having minimal education and working menial jobs. This class status is represented in The Great Gatsby by Myrtle and her husband. The next step up was the middle class, which has a basic education and average income used to purchase necessities rather than luxury items. And finally, on top is the upper class. These people have access to all luxuries and more often than not have advanced education (Kumar 2015). Within this class, there is further division described as "new money" and "old money". In The Great Gatsby, these groups are segregated to the extent that they

At this time everything was more extravagant than previously. The war had just ended and everyone was appreciating life to the fullest. This was done with extravagant parties, shorter dresses and lots of music. Jazz was played constantly, originating from New Orleans this style of music became extremely popular in the 20s and accompanied all parties and events. According to Nick Carraway, "Stocks reached record peaks, and Wall Street boomed a steady golden roar. The parties were bigger, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the ban on alcohol had backfired." (Baz Luhrmann, 2013). This ban on alcohol was known as prohibition. However, these restrictions on alcohol lead people to produce their own, at a cheaper price, increasing alcohol consumption. This consumption in addition to the lavish parties and excessive music resulted in an event that lasted an entire century worthy of the name " The Roaring