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The Great Gatsby Marxist Lens Essay

1177 Words5 Pages

Tucker Evans Frantzen 11 Honors Block 3A 25 March 2024 A Marxist lens through the Great Gatsby The wealth of each citizen has an impact on their societal views and experiences. Does earning your money versus having it handed to you truly affect the person you become and the experiences you have? In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the reader notices that the generational money holders are cold, stagnant characters who hold a mysterious and far away persona almost untouchable. While the ones who work for their money are compelling and exciting to follow, showing lots of personality and emotion simultaneously, the citizens who don't earn any money are almost invisible to everyone else, including the audience. A Marxist lens allows the …show more content…

Nick describes the eyes by stating “But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. The valley of ashes” (Fitzgerald 20)The way the eyes are positioned above the valley of ashes looking down upon its inhabitants is a representation of the watchful eye the residents of the East and West Egg hold over the valley of ashes. While analyzing the status of East Egg, West Egg and the Valley of Ashes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the audience can visualize the differences in each economic standpoint present and observe how they correlate to the personas of the characters. The prideful residents of the East Egg who have had their riches handed down to them are fairly unpleasant characters holding mysterious elements; their power is primarily in their family name. The characters of the West have earned their money and through this have shaped their personas into likable and enjoyable figures, pleasant to follow and full of emotion. while the characters of the Valley of Ashes who have no money whatsoever and remain invisible due to their extreme

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1416 Words | 6 Pages

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