Examples Of Marxism In The Great Gatsby

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A status hierarchy in which individuals and groups are classified on the basis of self-esteem and prestige developed mainly through economic achievement and savings of wealth and money. In 1920’s American economy began to decrease and the 1920-1921 depressions lasted about a year, but a quick improvement restore full employment by 1923. Fitzgerald tried to show that how did people easily gain their money and how do they use their money to have a good status in the society during 1920’s American economy in his novel. American writer and novelist F. Scott is known for his wavy personal life and his famous novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald demonstrates a Marxist critique by separating the setting into two parts called East Egg and West Egg through social-economic …show more content…

Marxism is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. A general opinion is that the means of production is the economic base that impacts or resolves the political life. Marxist literary theory of how everything relates back to wealth and social and financial status, reflecting on the economical experiences of Fitzgerald. It is clear that Fitzgerald has a Marxist message in the way he develops his characters in his novel.

In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald demonstrates the concept of Marxist critique through social-economic relationships and conflicts that it can create. For instance, “The social relationship of Marxism refers to this as that of economics between rich and poor. This theory is based purely upon the economics of wealth. The driving force in nearly all of society is the conflict between the rich and the poor.” (Angles) So according to Marxist social-economic relations, the connection between rich and poor classes depends on their each other’s existence. Which also means rich class needs the poor class and the poor class requires the rich class people. Their social-economic