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Effects of class division in the great gatsby
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Class distinction in the great gatsby
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In Francis Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the city of New York possesses a “transitory” and “enchanted” quantity, which “for the last time in history” rivaled man's “capacity for wonder” (182). New York City, a symbol of American greatness and the American dream, contains very unamerican class distinction: those whose families have been prominent and rich for decades function as a de facto aristocracy, looking down upon and controlling (through vast wealth) the poor. These class distinctions are mirrored by geography, dividing up the maps into regions by wealth. The parallelism of the region and the residents results in the region symbolizing the residents. Through analyzing both the residents and the description of the region, a holistic understanding can be gained about the residents of Valley of Ashes, East Egg, and West Egg.
The Valley of Ash, the least described region of the book, is an impoverished region connecting the prosperous, the wealthy New York City and the wealthier Long Island. The neighborhood is a “dismal scene” (23), which Nick Caraway is forced to view every time he rides the train into the city. The name valley of ash is an informal name deriving from the sheer quantity of ash, littering the city. Ashes cover and define everything in the city: the “ridges and hills and grotesque gardens”, the “houses and chimneys”, and the “men”. Similarly, the residents of the valley are hardly characterized by Caraway, because he cannot understand them. The smoke “obscures” and “obfuscates” the actions of these men both literally and figurative: a rich man like Caraway cannot understand the pure and intolerable poverty. The residents of the valley are plain and not very interesting. Most predominately featured ...
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...and the upper middle class members mixed in the neighborhood, creating a disturbing mix. West Egg provided a direct confrontation to the establishment that disturbed the rich such as Daisy Buchanan (107). The residents of the city have foreign names like “Joens”, “Muldoon”, and “Eckheart” with uncouth professions such as actors and politicians (63). Epitomizing the qualities of the people and the buildings of West Egg is Jay Gatsby. Gatsby possesses a house designed to imitate royalty. However, Gatsby fills that very house with the risque parties, juxtaposing the old idea of wealth with a new one. The juxtaposition between the two ideas strongly characterizes the West Egg resident.
In synthesis the three settings, represented by the residents, shows the stratification of the most American city. The city that amazed all and was a melting pot of class and culture.
“This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys”(Fitzgerald 2). Tom and Nick a driving through a place between West Egg and New York, which is an industrial zone where the lower class lives. Here alone we can see how the poor class lives their daily lives in filth, but the rich live in shiny clean houses.
Within the novel of the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses a symbolic setting to contribute to the novel's overall purpose. Right in the beginning of the great Gatsby, he introduces the idea of West Egg and East Egg. East Egg being where Tom Buchanan and Daisy reside, among other people who live lavishly off of their inherited family money,”across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water”(Pg.8). This part of the two eggs represents “old money,” which is the way the author calls wealth that has been passed on through generations within families.West Egg being the location where the narrator, Nick Carraway, and Jay Gatsby reside, represents “new money,”or people who are new to wealth, as opposed to people who have had it in their families,”West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two”(Pg.7). Fitzgerald sets this sort of tension between the West and East Eggers. Many of the East Eggers thought the entrepreneurs living on the West were shady, “A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers…”(114). Between West Egg and East Egg, there is a place the author calls the Valley of Ashes, “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like
... inhabitants to symbolize the corrupt nature of the pursuit of wealth as well as artificiality. Both West and East Egg hide their flaws beneath glamour and extravagance, connected in their artificiality despite distinct differences in the origins of their money. The valley of the ashes is a symbol of the corrupt nature of wealth and its accumulation, relentlessly under the watchful eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, or God himself. New York City veils its corruption and shady criminals under an atmosphere of chaos and restiveness, artificially hiding the moral decomposition at its core. All in all, the geography of The Great Gatsby significantly illustrates the decay of America’s central values; symbolizing that the American dream is more than the accumulation of wealth and prestige.
Throughout the novel, East Egg demonstrates time after time the shallow underbelly of New York’s upper side. The inhabitants of this section of the city are what are known as the “old money”, meaning they come from families with money passed down through generation upon generation. Nick Carraway demonstrates unto the reader the grandeur of the area when he says, “Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water…” (Fitzgerald 5) referring to the homes opposite the bay of his. The people who occupy these homes, such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, have never had to work a single day in their lives to secure and maintain their lavish and luxurious lifestyles, and will never have to because of the money that their families have procured throughout the generations. People here are reckless, and tend to not want to take responsibility for their actions. Jordan demonstrates...
The Great Gatsby is one of the most renowned books known to mankind. A story about a man’s quest to fit into a society built for the rich whilst wooing a childhood crush may seem extremely simple and straightforward, however, the mystery is not behind the plot, but rather, it is in the writing itself. The words F. Scott Fitzgerald used were chosen with such delicacy, one cannot even hope to assume that anything was a mere coincidence. The book is laced with intricate strands of symbolism bound together by a single plot. One of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s more major themes is the use of locations. The importance of location as symbols are further expressed through the green light at the end of the dock as well as the fresh, green breast of the new world.
The homes of Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby sit directly across from each other in the opposite Eggs. Gatsby “lived at West Egg, the – well, the less fashionable of the two though this is a most superficial to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald 5). Through Fitzgerald’s diction, beauty masks the underlying ugliness in West Egg. Although West Egg’s residents have “new money” wealth, they do not have the “proper” etiquette or background of those in East Egg, who “observe the rules of formality and tradition, at least on the surface” (Parkinson 35). Those in East Egg have generations of training in proper society and the importance of it, creating a barrier to those who did not grow up with such lineage of wealth. This perception
Throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald conveys how there are many sides to social class and the explosion of the workers just how myrtle is an example of exposure of the working class and the valley of ashes the plight of the poor. This shows the real America and how there's no “dream”. Through the description of the valley of ashes which represent the social class Fitzgerald conveys the plight of the poor.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the nineteen twenties and takes place in New York and Long Island. Long Island is composed of West Egg and East Egg, two rich cities that are in this novel. However, between New York City and West Egg, there is an area called the valley of ashes which consists of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. In it, live the poor. Its denizens live like that because the rich only look out for themselves. Fitzgerald uses symbolism to show moral decay and the representation of the poor who must always live in despair.
East Egg being “old money” people, or the people who had been wealthy for a long period of time and West Egg, the “new money” people, they citizens who have newly obtained their wealth. In the novel, Gatsby and Nick lived in West Egg and Daisy lived in East Egg. Furthermore, during this time period, the number of millionaires tippled because of the stock market. People were receiving millions, for doing nothing involving hard physical work. Many people saw this way of living, including Nick, and decided they wanted this easily attainable money, unlike the traditional American Dream. On the other hand, some unmoral people, including Gatsby, wanted the life style of the wealthy that they would cheat their way into riches. Gatsby participated in criminal acts to gain money so he could win Daisy over. But, when he received her he was disappointed, and only really loved her for, “her voice [that] is full of money,” (120). On the surface his life seemed like the definition of the American Dream, but in reality his life was never fulfilling. Not only does Gatsby’s story demonstrate the disillusionment of the dream, but it also proves that the dream unachievable. Moreover, these new groups of wealthy citizens created the lifestyle of “New Money.” This new class would never obtain the level of sophistication that they were hopping to achieve. For example Myrtle thought she could obtain the Dream by
The US is a country founded on the concept of freedom and equal rights, America prides itself on the lack of aristocracy and the equal opportunities but through Gatsby’s character Fitzgerald challenges the aristocracy and the limits of opportunity, which leads the reader back to the idea of the American Dream. When comparing the visible separation between West Egg and the Valley Of Ashes, there’s a distinct divide with a metaphorical clear link connecting them both. The valley of ashes is symbolic of the poverty, representing a proletarian society in need of urgent help but is neglected. The Wilson’s are used to exemplify how the economic boom didn’t positively impact all America, whilst George and Myrtle’s lives are significantly more difficult
In the novel, West Egg represents the newly rich, while east Egg, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy. The newly rich are portrayed as being vulgar, showy and lacking in social graces and taste. However, what the old aristocracy possesses in taste, however, it seems to lack in heart, as the East Eggers prove themselves careless and inconsiderate of others. Nevertheless, “Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book”, is an illustration of what dedication and an “extraordinary gift for hope” can erect. Although, his money is made from criminal means, he is shown to be a vibrant character who is sincere, loyal, and has genuine love for Daisy. Everything he has done in life has been done to fulfil his dream, to prove to Daisy that he is worthy of her. And even when his dream is collapsing, and all chances of recovering his past love is gone, Gatsby’s incorruptible dream drives him on. Ironically, then, it is not Gatsby’s bad qualities that lead him to his death, but rather his good qualities of loyalty and determination that lead to his demise, as he takes the blame for killing Myrtle rather than letting Daisy be punished. It is at this point in the novel that Nick, the narrator, realizes that his neighbour was “worth the whole damn bunch put together”. Nick, who is supposedly “inclined to reserve all judgments,” finally makes a conclusive judgment here, calling Daisy, Tom, Jordan, and all the upper class morally rotten. And although Gatsby’s real history, however tainted by criminal enterprise, in facts makes him more admirable by moral standards than the initial impression he gives Nick. During a time that was so entrenched with corruption and restlessness, Gatsby still manages to maintain faith in the virtues of
The first location, West Egg, correlates to a person who is dazzling and extravagant. A person who became rich and possesses new money just like people who live there. The person who corresponds to West Egg is Jay Gatsby. Both the location and person symbolize the rise of the new rich alongside the conventional aristocracy of the 1920s. Previously, only people who were born into their riches were generally part of the upper class. Social mobility was difficult for those in lower classes because the “old rich” who maintained their prosperity across many generations retained control. During the 1920s however, people were starting to acquire their wealth within their own generations giving themselves the name “new rich”. Gatsby is an example of a person who constituting his own fortune after belonging to a lower social class and economic stratum. Gatsb...
It lacks glamour and is ugly at the core. The machines that create the ash, and the people living there are ugly, because they represent the disappointments of the American Dream. West and East Egg are beautiful from the outside, but on the inside, they are just as unpleasant as the valley. The greed of those living in fantasy versus those who saw greed, but fell short of the “successes” and riches that come from class structure allows the linear relationship to be determined through the rich and poor. This association can be most seen through this description,
The valley is described as a “desolate” place where “ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills into grotesque gardens”. (21) Ashes that dominate the area take the shape of natural greenery. The term “grotesque gardens” uses alliteration, with juxtaposition; to highlight the odd pairing of ashes and greenery. Ashes are associated with death while ridges and “gardens” represent the potential to flourish and grow in the promise and ideal of equality as in “the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams.” (143) The trees that once stood here were able to speak to man’s dreams, which allude to America, the land able to speak to man’s dreams and capacity for wonder. All this is replaced by grey ash that suffocates the inhabitants, restricting them to their social class. This presents a bleak image of hopelessness that surrounds the valley.
Each place takes on a different meaning of wealth and success. Fitzgerald also used the different locations to divide up the social classes. The community of the West Egg represents “new money”. It is a place where the newly rich inhabit. A society of rich entrepreneurs who have made their money from participating in illegal activity after World War I. The West Egg society is portrayed in the book as being gaudy and showoffs; a community with no class or dignity. Fitzgerald includes Gatsby’s pink suit, Rolls Royce, and white mansion to depict Gatsby as being flashy and trying to copy the people from the East Egg. The East Egg is right across the bay from the West Egg, where the people who were born rich reside. The West Egg represents “old money”. The West Egg social elites are thought to have style, dignity, and class. As for Tom and Daisy, who live in West Egg, have none of those traits. They are both having affairs, Daisy killed a woman, and Tom is a racist abuser. This is an example that having the American dream will not make life easy or make a person any happier. Fitzgerald includes a place where the poor and hard-working citizens of New York live. The place where working yourself to the bone will get you nowhere in life and anyone who is wealthy enough ends up moving far away. It is a community of dirt poor people whose labor in the factories