Social Classes In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Roaring Twenties was a time of great prosperity and a booming economy; this led to people following their American Dream. However, there was a drastic division in social class due to the new emerging money. Due to successful stock market speculation and an abundance of white collared jobs, men climbed the social ladder. Stock market speculation also led to bankruptcy, revealing more people shifting to the low class. In The Great Gatsby, the author writes about various characters in different social classes and how they act. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald exposes the gilded differences in the unique class structure of the 1920’s for the new money class, old money class, and the lower class. The rise to wealth and the new way of living

This is supported by, “during this time, more white-collar jobs became available. Blue-collar jobs, like mining, farming and other forms of physical labor, were by no means rare in the 1920s, but they were increasingly being replaced by white-collar jobs in fields such as law enforcement, public service, private business and the like”(Sullivan). As a result, people received high salaries and worked to gain positions in the top. The emerging industries helped people do this. In addition, many started their own businesses, making them gain more money.Not only new jobs made people rich, but investing in the stock market did too. This is proven in, “the effect on the stock market was positive indeed, and numerous investors often made tremendous gains within few months.In contrast to the established upper class the new rich did not inherit their wealth but acquired it by themselves. This myth "from rags to riches" the "American Dream" was revived during this decade”(Noggle). Making money by investing in the stock market was not a permanent job, but it led to quick cash that many people needed for conspicuous consumerism. Therefore, the amount of stuff one had defined how wealthy they were. In

Today people assume the 1920’s was a time of elaborate parties, flappers, and luxury. However, eminent prosperity disguised the 1920’s from something that was ominous. The truth about the majority of the public during this time was that , “the 1920s was a decade of poverty. Generally, groups such as African-Americans, women and farmers did not enjoy the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. More than 60 per cent of Americans lived just below the poverty line. Life was particularly hard for African-Americans in the Deep South states where the majority of black people endured a combination of poverty and racism. Although some women were able to enjoy more independence and wear the latest fashions, the reality was that most women were poorly paid and were employed in roles such as cleaners or waitresses”(www.bbc.co.uk.com). The bulk of America were African Americans and women who did not receive the same rights as white men; therefore, they suffered through poor jobs or no jobs because others did not want to hire them. In need for jobs, the low to lower middle class migrated to cities for more job opportunities. Nevertheless, city life was not accommodating the lives of the low class. In most cities, “the ability of local governments to extend clean water, garbage collection, and sewage systems into poorer areas, so conditions in cities deteriorated. Cities in the late 19th