The Great Gatsby
Man dreams of living the life of the elite social class and of the power and admiration inherent within. F. Scott Fitzgerald comes to terms with this American dream in The Great Gatsby, a novel about social life in the 1920's. The social hierarchy of the times plays a very important role in this novel. Here Fitzgerald illustrates three specific social classes: old money, new money, and lower class, with old money and new money taking center stage. Gatsby himself personifies new money; he made himself into a rich man through shady dealings. Tom Buchanan, on the other hand, represents old money. He received everything he has on a silver platter. He earned nothing but his inheritance. At the time, it was extremely desirable to be old money, because people looked at new money as vulgar and uncivilized. By illustrating social-economic class differences, Fitzgerald depicts the illusion of the corrupted American dream.
Old money, living in the guise of the American dream, denies the entrance of new money and the lower class into their social hierarchy. Tom's mistress, Myrtle, despite her status as a lower class citizen, tries to pressure him into leaving Daisy. In the novel, Tom has a mistress who lives in the "valley of ashes," where most of the lower class citizens reside. Tom has been seeing her for years even though he married Daisy. " This illusion of the American dream can only harm its believers and all those who aspire to attain it. The elite created the American dream in order to make themselves and others think they are superior. On page 19, Jordan Baker informs Nick of this scandal, "Why- Tom's got some woman in New York. They are not, in fact, above all others, but have created the illusion of this corrupted dream. " Jordan also informs Nick of the commonality and wide acceptance of this fact. To be of old money opens all doors, allowing you to do anything you want to anyone you want, to act without conscience, and to let others take responsibility for your actions. Despite his attempts to become old money, the old rich have never embraced him. In this way, Fitzgerald shows that although old money people count themselves rich monetarily, they show a lack of morality and accountability. Gatsby even offers to take the blame for a murder she committed, yet she will nott even leave her husband for him. The attempts of new money to imitate old money remain futile.
Common topics in this essay:
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Tom Buchanan,
Scott Fitzgerald,
York Jordan,
,
american dream,
Jordan Baker,
lower class,
Why- Tom's,
corrupted american dream,
money lower class,
money people,
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social hierarchy,
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corrupted american,
informs nick,
scott fitzgerald,
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