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Importance Of Social Class In The Great Gatsby

778 Words4 Pages

The social classes of old money, new money, and the working class in The Great Gatsby send a message of elitism running through America in the 1920’s. The old money class are judgemental and exclusive. Nick realizes how the people of East Egg feel about the lesser classes as Nick examines daisy and thinks, “She looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.” (pg. 22). Daisy and Tom Buchanan represent the type of people old money are. Daisy and Tom are very selective on the types of individuals deemed important and sophisticated enough to socialize with. Wealth is very important to those who have had the …show more content…

Workers were in demand and wages rose. Gatsby, like many others became part of the middle class as the population of new money began to increase due to more equal income distribution and young executive’s enormous amounts of wealth. However, a gap separating the classes separating the rich and the working class remained quite large. Money separated the social classes in the 1920’s and these classes represented a level of importance in society. Marxist criticism challenges the time period in which Gatsby lived in. According to Marx the old money ruled above the new money and the working class and this created inequality in society. In order for civilization to overcome the divisions in society created through money there must be an economic and social equality collectively owned. There can only be a change when the working class revolts against the higher class. Although various new money individuals possess an equal amount of money as certain old money, what is of importance is how the money is obtained. Through Old money’s exclusiveness they deny good individuals of lower classes the opportunity to prosper to the highest social standing because new money was raised in a low class background. Poetic

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