Literacy In The Great Gatsby

Besides related to social interactions above, this research also finds that the depiction of literacy in Fitzgerald’s novels also related to the social class (which eventually also related to social status). Someone cannot discuss about the significance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fiction in Fitzgerald’s personal and literary life without considering about the role that notions of social class and social status played as it often described in his literary work. In the novels, the activity of reading and writing is used very differently depend on the social status of the characters. In TSOP, literacy is depicted as an activity which is used to increase social classes. As Amory is only a middle class who attend a prestigious university which is

(2000:8) mention that literacy practices are purposeful and embedded in broader social goals and cultural practices and that literacy practices are patterned by social institutions and power relationships, and some literacies become more dominant, visible and influential than others. There are many purposes for the use of literacy depend on the people and also depend on where they are as many institutions which also patterned the use of literacy. This research use three main significances of literacy which are proposed by Scribner; Literacy as adaptation, literacy as power, and literacy as state of grace. In TSOP, the social institutions in the story is the American society and Educational institutions; St. Regis and also Princeton in the 1920’s which still affected by the system of social class where there is the upper-classes, middle-classes and also lower-classes. For Amory, literacy has three significances in his life. First is for adaptation in which literacy is used by Amory who comes from the middle class to be able to adapt with St. Regis and Princeton’s conditions which is controlled by the upper-class or the superior-class. In St. Regis, Amory is able to adapt himself after his second year using his ability in literacy by entering St. Regis Tattler and become the editor of it and then became one of the superior. While when Amory is at Princeton, he uses his literacy to be the member of the Daily Princetonian with the hope of getting popular. The way he adapted himself using his ability in reading to join the Princetonian and then getting his popularity also shows that literacy is working as power for Amory. The literacy is able to make his social status upgraded, from a student who is unknown and rejected by the upper-class becomes a very popular student. After the war and dropping out of Princeton, Amory had difficulty in adapting with his financial condition which is falling, he actually have the