Social Classes In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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.
Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy contrasts between the first time they met when they were younger and the present time when Daisy reunites

In the past, Tom is described with, “a wholesome bulkiness about his person and his position and Daisy was flattered.” (151). At the time, Tom is a very athletic and charming man who also is very kind to Daisy. In their relationship Tom and Daisy are both high class; but regardless of their high status and great sum of money, their relationship together isn’t very strong as they both cheat on eachother; Daisy with Gatsby and Tom with Myrtle. When Nick meets Tom and Daisy at their estate, he learns that Tom has changed since they first initially met. During a dinner get together, Tom interrupts Daisy and is generally rude to her for most of Nick’s visit there. Nick looks at Daisy and sees that her knuckles were bruised, with Daisy saying, “ ‘I hurt it.’ We all looked—the knuckle was black and blue.” (12). It is implying that Tom has abused her even though she is saying that she bruised herself instead of Tom doing it. This change in Tom’s behavior doesn’t change Daisy at least when Tom is in front of her, but she is more sharing of her relationship with others when Tom isn’t around. She wants to stay with Tom as he has wealth and power and if she breaks her marriage with him, she won’t have anywhere to go or wealth to lean off of, but also runs the risk of losing

Myrtle is from the Valley of Ashes which is the dirty and run down part of the city in New York. Everyone who is in the Valley of Ashes tends to stay in the same social class as there is not much opportunity to grow and make a living. Myrtle is considered to be low class with her husband Wilson who owns an auto body shop. This difference in social class changes the dynamic of the relationship between them compared to others, as Myrtle has to sneak out in order to be with Tom rather than being able to leave with him whenever she wants. While Nick is out with Tom and Myrtle, they socialize with a few friends in Tom’s apartment. Tom and Myrtle argue if she can say Daisy, in a way to poke fun at Tom cheating. Tom is fed up with Myrtle, and, “broke her nose with his open hand.” (37). Fitzgerald adding that Tom hurt her over a simple argument shows that he is not afraid of expressing his feelings. Myrtle making him feel guilty about cheating built up inside and he couldn’t control how he felt. Since Myrtle is lower class and Tom is higher, he looks down on Myrtle as lesser since she is from the Valley of Ashes and is more open to abusing her while in front of others. The class difference is a part of why the abuse is written out compared to Daisy who is only inferred about being abused from her bruised knuckles. With Myrtle being lower class, Tom can do almost anything he wants to her since he has the resources while she is