“Classless society is the dream of people with no class” said Robert Zend. In the book “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, class and society play a big role in the plot of the book. In this book Gatsby begins as a typical ordinary man, and eventually makes his way into new money. The narrator, Nick, is also a ordinary man but he has the character and personality that makes him unique. Throughout the book, Gatsby has a main goal of being with, the love of his life, Daisy. Later on in the book Gatsby comes upon a realization, he can’t be with her. This separation is a extensive complication that sets the stage for the whole plot. Society dictates people's reputation and creates separation between the many classes. “The distance between …show more content…
In the duration of the book Nick, the narrator, has many different influences on each and every character. The relationships he builds are all unique but he never changes the way he acts. He is the glue to all characters throughout this book. Although he doesn't often state his opinion, he is a major part of this book. Nick starts the book out as a loyal non-judgemental man and continues like this for the whole book. With every twist and turn he gets in the book, he never fails to stay to himself because that's the way he was raised. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all of the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.” this quote is in the beginning when Nick tells us that his dad said this to him and it has stuck with him ever since. This quote defines Nick and who he is and wants t be as a person. Nick has some ups and downs throughout the book but he never gives up on that motto. Society doesn't matter to Nick, he is himself. Social class to Nick is a big judgement, based on the money you have, Nick does not want to be apart of that. He continued to try and teach this to Gatsby throughout the book but it never stuck in Gatsby’s head. The overall comparison and allaboration of society and class, in the book gave an understanding of the world during the twenties. Society dictates people's reputation and creates separation between the many classes. The way society acts and feels, pushes the characters to act in the ways of society; it defines their social class. The big goal in all of this is to be the higher class when really Nick shows us that you can survive by just being yourself. Overall, the fight between social classes doesn’t really matter in the end, because what is meant to be, is meant to
Nick pursues this wealthy lifestyle with his old and new money friends. He is disillusioned and fascinated by the big houses and parties, but near the end, realizes that rich people are childish and self centered. Moving to West Egg, New York City to begin a new chapter, Nick encounters the positive and negative ways that the social classes influence each other. At the very beginning of the novel, Nick explains, “In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” (Fitzgerald 1). A combination of carrying a nonjudgmental nature and living in a middle class permits the ability to see people for who they are.
Nick thinks very highly of himself in the story of Gatsby. On page 59 Nick says, “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (Fitzgerald). This quote is in chapter 3 and as the story progresses Nick’s character changes. That quote shows Nick at a time when he’s full of himself but as the story goes on and Nick spens more time with Gatsby he becomes humbled over time. Piggy on the other hand does not change throughout the book.
Towards the end of the novel, Nick really confirms his stand with Gatsby and his dreams instead of the snobbish ultra wealthy which demonstrates how readers should do the same. Nick begins to foster “a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and [himself] against them all” which shows how although Gatsby isn’t perfect he is much better than the likes of Tom and Daisy (Fitzgerald 165). Nick’s feeling of “defiance” shows how strong this feeling is as he isn’t just advocating for Gatsby, he is standing up “against” the ultra wealthy. Nick feels a “solidarity” because he is united with Gatsby for his work against the shallow ultra wealthy, work which was done through his dream and pursuit of that dream. And while this solidarity
There was a touch of parental contempt in it, even toward people he liked and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts.” ch.1 Analysis: Nick is describing Tom, since he’s the narrator. Nick describes tom through his voice but yet you can get see all his personality through it. It also gives a small detail about nick like how close he pays attention to those around him and describes them in detail descriptions. 7.
Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their social statuses. Gatsby ends up resorting to crime to make enough money to impress her, and materialism to match his lifestyle with hers. Yet the division between the two different classes causes major conflict. The aristocrats, such as Daisy, are born with an advantage; they have had money all their life. They know how to bribe their way out of trouble, while the people without the same privileges are left to suffer.
In the book ' ' The Great Gatsby ' ' Nick is caught up in Gatsby`s life. Either by the fact that he lives next door to him or that he is interested in Gatsby`s lifestyle. Nick has this high opinion of Gatsby in a way that his life is tangled up in Gatsby`s life. Making it hard to not be interested in Gatsby`s past and present, but its the way he makes everyone feel is why Nick has this high opinion.
Wealthy people during the 1920s were very careless and shallow. As the richer, they became the more they fade away from their morals. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he writes about Gatsby’s destiny and how people during that society “helped” him. The only help that he got was people’s shallowness. Gatsby’s destiny was to have Daisy fall in love with him again by using his wealth.
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). This quote captures the advantages the upper class has because of their money. Tom and Daisy’s actions left three people dead, yet they received no punishments .They put all their baggage on the lower class, and left them to pick up the pieces. In The Great Gatsby, the theme of social class is very significant in the book. Scott F. Fitzgerald used the theme of social class to show the reader that it plays a much bigger role in life.
Gatsby’s undying efforts to gain Daisy’s attention by throwing grand parties, advertising his wealth, and paying her visits never go unnoticed. The true characteristics of each class are displayed throughout the way they each respond to certain situations and the choices they choose to make. The characters lie, cheat, break laws, and murder. The Great Gatsby ends in a tragedy which F. Scott Fitzgerald foresees society is ultimately leading towards. The great Gatsby explores themes of social classes and the corruption of the American dream through the failure of poetic justice.
The desire for love and companionship has the ability to help shape one’s sense of self, but Gatsby’s drive to fulfill that longing in Daisy became his sole focus in life and distracted him from reality. Instead of enhancing his true character, he completely lost his identity in an attempt to pursue Daisy, changing his entire life when he left “James Gatz” behind and put on the persona of Jay Gatsby. Refusing to accept his past, he lost his identity, and his sense of self was reduced to a “career” trying to be someone else (Fitzgerald 98). He spent his whole life trying to acquire money simply to fulfill the desire for Daisy’s love, since he knew “he had no real right to touch her hand” as a “penniless young man without a past” (Fitzgerald 149). Gatsby’s aspiration for love took over everything he did, as the text notes he “took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously” to try to become wealthy and satisfy his desire for love (Fitzgerald 149).
His difference in upbringing and lifestyle is evident from his acute moral compass that is showcased time and time again. He begins the novel by narrating the advice given to him by his father: "'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.'" Whether or not he actually was able to follow this advice fully is not of importance, such level headed upbringing and origins sets him apart from everyone else and he becomes a man of “fundamental decencies" . An early indication of that is when Nick “had been actually invited” to Gatsby's party instead of just showing up without invitation as the others did. At the actual party, upon arrival Nick “made an attempt to find [his] host” whereas the others “conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks, sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all” .
If Daisy did not have the money she had, and the social class she was in, Gatsby would have never cared who she was. In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests that people who idolize wealth are hollow individuals. Fitzgerald shows this through the characterization of Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy. In the world, there are a lot of different social classes.
Throughout the course of the book, Nick starts off open-minded, but gradually becomes disgusted with everyone he meets. Nick saw mostly everyone only thinking of themselves and trying to pursue "The American Dream", a staple of the 1920s. The one person Nick liked was Gatsby, because
Without even considering Nick’s insight, Gatsby immediately dismisses what Nick has to say. Again, Gatsby is making an attempt to separate himself from Nick on the basis that he belongs to an elite social class while Nick does not. In both of these quotes, Gatsby speaks to Nick in a snobby, patronizing way. Gatsby’s constant need to reaffirm his own position regarding affluence shows that he, himself, does not entirely believe in his high social standing.
Nick is a unique yet good narrator because he has many positive characteristics, is associated with the plot, not directly involved with the other characters’ affairs, and the story is told strictly through him. Nick possesses many qualities that make him a great narrator. First, he claims that he does not