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How Does Fitzgerald Present The Social Class In The Great Gatsby

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Often thought of to be the hallmark representation of the 1920s along with Only Yesterday, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald detailed the lives of the protagonist of the novel, Jay Gatsby, among other characters through the lens of the narrator Nick Carraway in the decade succeeding World War 1. The catastrophic effects of WW1 such as the deaths and psychological damage inflicted on the American people set the stage for the time period known as ‘’The Roaring 20s’’ and additionally the attitudes and behaviors exhibited by the citizens of the US in the time period. The Great Gatsby reflects the social class, materialism, and shallowness of the 1920s. The Great Gatsby reflects the social class of the 1920s. In the novel there are two villages on opposing sides of a bay named West Egg and East Egg. West Egg as Nick put it in Chapter One was “the less fashionable of the two" with East Egg being more sophisticated and cultured. East Egg inhabitants were old money whose wealth was passed down through generations whereas West Egg was where the newly rich lived. The newly rich’s desire to fit in with the …show more content…

In Only Yesterday; Allen writes “It was no mere coincidence that during this decade hostesses-even at small parties-found that their guests couldn't be bothered to speak to them on arrival or departure; that "gatecrashing" at dances became an accepted practice;” At the beginning of the book, uninvited guests fill Gatsby’s house by the hundreds to attend his parties; however, no one takes the time to actually know the host and only appear to show up for a good time. And when Gatsby dies very few people show up to his funeral; only Nick, Gatsby’s dad, Owl Eyes, and some servants are there. Despite all the people who went to his parties almost nobody seems to truly care about Gatsby. Even Daisy, who Gatsby spent five years trying to win back, does not feel convicted enough to show

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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.

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Throughout chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby, social class and status are addressed in a variation of different ways. From the opening of the chapter, we learn about poor Mr. Gatz who's trying to sort his life out of almost nothing at all. An example of this can be seen when Nick is explaining Gatsbys younger years. “...to the small Lutheran college of St. Olaf in southern Minnesota. He stayed there two weeks, dismayed at its ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny, to destiny itself, and despising the janitor’s work with which he was to pay his way through.

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Flappers, wealth, and prohibition that's with the 1920's were about. The novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was placed in this time period. Fitzgerald uses the novel to place a message showing the differences between higher and lower classes. The characters in this book have different values and goals based on their class, that attribute to the theme of this book. Jordan Baker in this time would be considered a flapper.

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The 1920s, also known as the Jazz Age, is a time of moral decrease and happiness for Americans. The Great Gatsby is told from the view of Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest who moves to the East to make his fortune. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s through corruption, greed, and the attainment of wealth through Carraway’s story. Fitzgerald accurately portrays the 1920s in The Great Gatsby through corruption by using the characters Jay Gatsby and Meyer Wolfsheim in the novel.

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The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows a view of the 1920’s America where the American Dream isa driven attribute of the country. With the American Dream being the advertised lifestyle, not everyone is able to achieve it due to the division of economic and social classes. Looking at the book through a Marxist lens in The Great Gatsby forces readers to see the clear division between economic classes and how they act in their social lives and relationships. The relationships during this time are influenced by social status and wealth between Gatsby and Daisy, Daisy and Tom, and Tom and Myrtle.

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