The Great Gatsby Social Inequality Analysis

“The dream of a land in which life should be richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement … regardless of circumstances of birth or position” was the definition of the American dream given by James Truslow Adams in the early 1900s. The American dream is an ideology, hence it is subjective and varies from person to person. However the distortion of the central values of the dream has caused it to become the ruthless pursuit of wealth regardless of morals and ethics, under the false guise that it will bring happiness. Consequently, the distorted interpretation has led to the social and moral decay of society, leading to grave inequality for people in the lower echelons of society. Both, ‘The

A prime example of this is in the Great Gatsby is George Wilson. George lives near the valley of ashes where “ashes take the form of houses of houses and chimneys… and grey cars crawl along an invisible track… and immediately the grey-ash men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud”. The use of visual imagery is indicative of the fact that individuals and corporations are willing to compromise the health and welfare of poor people to work towards their American dream. George Wilson is also unjustifiably threatened by Tom Buchanan when Tom says “And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.”. Tom responds with this in a very cold tone because George is of lower priority due to his social position. This along with the fact that Tom tried to steal Myrtle from George shows the massive abuse of power by people who are of a high rank within society and are living their American Dream. In “America and I” by Anzia Yezierska asks for wages and is responded with “four eyes turned into hard stone” and felt as if “murderers would have robbed me and killed me it wouldn’t have hurt so much”. The uses metaphor and hyperbole to highlight how severe the injustice towards her was at the hands of people who have reached their American Dream. She is also abused in her next

Daisy married Tom Buchanan, compromising true love for the ability to live the American Dream. Even though she is aware of Tom and his scandals, she decides to act as a fool because she is objectified into a possession of Tom. She describes how “the best thing a girl can be in this world is a beautiful little fool” and by using irony she implies how Daisy is aware of the gender inequality but it is in her best interest to act oblivious so she can continue living comfortable and maintain her social position. Daisy also understands how the only way females can achieve their American dream is by their looks. In “America and I” Anzia envisions her American Dream as making a comfortable living off self-expression. However, she isn’t taken seriously and when she explains her dilemma with the vocational officer “shrugs her shoulder away from me with the look of pity we give to cripples and hopeless lunatics”. The use of metaphor indicates the consensus of society would perceive her as insane because her plan of attaining the American Dream is unheard of at the time. These are only a few examples of how women do not have the same chance of attaining the American Dream as their male counterparts, therefore proving that the American Dream does not reflect