Social Class In The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, characters Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Myrtle Wilson all desperately try to escape their social class. Each character has different desires and dreams which include moving into a different lifestyle and social class. In this novel, we can see each character face different obstacles in trying to achieve their desired lifestyle.

Jay Gatsby’s “American dream” revolves around one particular woman; Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is Gatsby’s ex-lover and he is completely captivated by Daisy and her lifestyle. “There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms up-stairs more beautiful and cool than other bed- rooms, of gay and radiant activities taking place through its corridors, and of romances that were

“If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life…” (2). Nick finds himself interested in Gatsby’s mysterious and successful life. He starts to surround himself with the people of West and East Egg and is at first fascinated by their lives, before quickly realizing many flaws. Throughout the novel, we see Nick develop a romantic relationship with Jordan Baker, Daisy Buchanan’s friend, she was of higher class than him. His attraction to Jordan and her life blinded him of all the unacceptable things she would do, “I wasn’t actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. The bored haughty face that she turned to the world concealed something — most affectations conceal something eventually, even though they don’t in the beginning — and one day I found what it was. When we were on a house-party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it —” (57). Although regular people would be held accountable for their actions, Jordan feels entitled and blames others for her mistakes. This was also portrayed when Nick describes Tom and Daisy near the end of the book, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast

Myrtle sees Tom as her ticket into the upper class, it is almost as if she enters a new life when she is in his presence. Tom provides Myrtle with an apartment and money to purchase whatever she desires, "The apartment was on the top floor—a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom, and a bath." (29). We see Myrtle have created this artificial persona of the upper class women and way of life, “I’m going to give you this dress as soon as I’m through with it. I've got to get another one tomorrow. I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get. A massage and a wave, and a collar for the dog, and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer…” (36). George is not wealthy, he owns a garage and makes a small living out of it, this quote explains how different Myrtle’s lifestyle has become surrounding herself in Tom’s money. All of these factors and delusions eventually lead to Myrtle’s tragic downfall and