In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald
delineates the social strata of the mid-1920s American culture through the
following:
- Geography:
East Egg (established rich) vs. West Egg (new rich) vs. Valley of Ashes (poor working
class). East Coast (action of the novel; lack of morality) vs. Midwest (place where
Nick narrates; moral
values) - Characterization of
men: Tom (inhereted rich, Alpha dog, racist, womanizer) vs. Gatsby (class
jumper, idealistic but corrupt) vs. Nick (middle-class Midwestern observer
moralist) - Characterization of
women: Daisy (beautiful little fool) vs. Jordan (careless cheater) vs.
Myrtle (unfaithful
opportunist) - Conversations:
Tom shows how he believes the whites are being corrupted by the inferior races when he
mentions the book "The Rise of the Colored Empires by a man named
Goddard" - Parties: in the
first three chapters, we have three different parties that show social class
differences. Tom/Daisy's Party: private luncheon vs. Tom/Myrtle's Party: drinking, slap
vs. Gatsby's Party: car wrecks, dancing in fountains. All three parties show how the
East Coast rich are careless. We also see the luncheon between Nick, Gatsby, and Meyer
Wolfsheim: shows how corrupt, criminal Americans have become during, ironically,
Prohibition. - Clothes: Daisy
is attracted to Gatsby's shirts. Meyer Wolfsheim has cuff buttons made of human molars.
Daisy and Pammy always wear white to show their foolishness. George wears dirty
overalls. Myrtle changes from a cheap dress (in the Valley of Ashes) to a seductive
dress (at her NY
apartment). - Cars: George
wants to buy Tom's car. Tom uses the car as an excuse to stop by the garage and meet
Myrtle; he holds the car over George's head. Gatsby's car is a circus car: a bright
yellow traveling sideshow that runs over Myrtle (symbolic of class
war).
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