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Social Status In The Great Gatsby

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Affairs, money and love are all a part of the drama created because of the importance of social status in The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the modernist characteristic of the social breakdown of social class and status. Many characters in the novel focus a lot of their lives and decisions on wealth and social status, something that was very common during the 1920’s time period in which the story takes place. The social breakdown of social status in society causes many problems for the main characters throughout the story. One major dilemma caused by the social breakdown of social class in The Great Gatsby is the affairs going on in the marriage of Daisy and Tom Buchanan. Both spouses find themselves having an affair with another person. It is obvious that Daisy and Tom do not have a happy marriage. Tom’s mistress’ sister Catherine even says “Neither of them can stand the person they married”. Tom only stays married to Daisy because she comes from a wealthy family and his mistress is poor. In the end the affairs cause the death of both of the people Tom and Daisy were having affairs with. …show more content…

Gatsby’s wealth can be seen through his expensive cars, extraordinary mansion and fancy parties. But what no one knows is that Jay actually did not come from a wealthy family, that he was actually poor growing up. Daisy’s wife Tom begins to question later in the story where Gatsby gets his wealth from. Mr. Gatsby became rich through being involved in gangs and he sold alcohol, which during this time was illegal. Jay knew that Daisy came from a wealthy family, so he went against the law to gain money so he would be good enough for

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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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Daisy has proven herself to be materialistic and to fulfill her need for wealth she marries Tom to remain a member of old money upper class, not for

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One of the major themes that was present throughout the novel, the Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, is the shallow and hollowness of the upper class people. Throughout the novel a series of events occur that support the idea of the upper class having a shallow life. Firstly, the relationship between the two characters Daisy and Tom, whom have been married for 5 years, seems to proceed towards a broken marriage. The two individuals lack loyalty and faithfulness to one another, even after being bonded in a marriage, for up to 5 years they have no attachment or feelings to one another. Tom is portrayed as a womanizer and has never been fully committed to his wife, and on the other hand his wife continuously has a new love interest, depicting both of the individuals as shallow and feeling-less.

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After all the disputes and accusations, Tom and Daisy stay together and move away back to the Midwest. Conservely Tom and Daisy’s relationship only stayed together because of the time period they lived in and the social rules they were obliged

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Furthermore, Tom and Gatsby share the belief that it is crucial for individuals to perceive themselves as having a high social status. These characters are obsessed with accumulating opulent material possessions that serve as blatant displays of their wealth and success, in order to bolster their image in the eyes of the public. They adhere to the notion that their social status is an essential determinant of their self-worth and validation, revealing their deep-seated insecurity and shallow values. Although these characters both enjoy the idea of having a high self image, they both do it for different reasons. Gatsby desires to have a high social status in order to obtain Daisy.

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The impact of socioeconomic status can be examined through a myriad of lenses. F. Scott Fitzgerald aims to show the relationship between socioeconomic status and power. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Tom’s character shows that socioeconomic status is equivalent to power within the novel. Tom puts great pride and emphasis on his socioeconomic status and wealth.

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Despite their flaws, Tom and Daisy are the only couple that prevails in the end. But they prevail through corrupt means. Nick says they “smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” This emphasizes the flaws of their marriage, as it is only stabilized through the corrupt ways in which they abuse and maintain their status.

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I agree that while I was reading chapter one it did focus on the setting and how it described their social class and wealth in the story. I noticed how the people that lived in East Egg, like Tom, seemed to be very pompous, selfish, and fake. People like Nick Carraway that lives in West Egg seem to be honest and do not hide themselves from society. The people in East Egg use their wealth and beautiful mansions to distract others from who they really are. I also felt that point of view was important in chapter because it showed how Nick seems to be an honest person because of the advice his father gives him.

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“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). This quote captures the advantages the upper class has because of their money. Tom and Daisy’s actions left three people dead, yet they received no punishments .They put all their baggage on the lower class, and left them to pick up the pieces.     In The Great Gatsby, the theme of social class is very significant in the book. Scott F. Fitzgerald used the theme of social class to show the reader that it plays a much bigger role in life.

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