Social class defined is a broad group in society having common economic, cultural, or political status. Social classes are a common theme in both modern and classic novels. The theme of social classes is clearly depicted throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.The social classes are distinguished in The Great Gatsby as old money, new money, and no money. Those that belong to a family from old money live on the lavish East Egg, while those that recently became wealthy live on the West egg. Similarly in Wuthering Heights, the wealth of a family is determined by where they live: Thrushcross Grange the superior property or Wuthering Heights. The protagonist in both novels struggle to overcome the barriers that accompany their social class in order to be with their beloveds.
The social classes in Wuthering Heights are an insight to the society that Emily Bronte experienced. The British society of 1770 wasn’t accepting of a person with darker features which is reflected in how Heathcliff is treated in the novel. Orphans were also never meant to rise from their station below the servants. This is an insight into why Hindley Earnshaw hated Heathcliff and referred to him as a usurper of his father’s affections. When Hidley became master of Wuthering Heights he returned Heathcliff to his “rightful” place.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a peek into the society of the roaring twenties. Fitzgerald establishes two classes of
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is the story of the idiosyncratic millionaire Jay Gatsby. It is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner from Long Island who later moves to Manhattan. Gatsby’s life is organized around one desire, Daisy, the woman he loved. This desire leads him on an expedition from poverty to wealth, reuniting with his old love, and his eventual death. In his novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to portray the American Dream where people seek out self-gratification and pleasure. He captures the romance of the roaring twenties with the cars, money, illegal alcohol and the wildest parties one could imagine. Much like the character, Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), wasn’t born into the upper class. While Gatsby is from the lower class, Fitzgerald from the middle class, both end up becoming exceptionally rich, fall into the wildest and reckless life, and use their fortunes to win the love and approval of the women they once loved.
“The Roaring Twenties” is known in history as a time of economic and social prosperity for all who lived extravagant, rich lifestyles. The era of war had just ended, families were reunited, and the economy was thriving again, though this beautifully painted picture was not an accurate representation of the emotional state of anyone during this time. Affairs were an expectation instead of a consequence, relationships were based on social status and material wealth rather than emotional connection, modernism changed the way life was looked at between old money and new money, and separation was the new norm between social classes, gender, race, ethnicity, and so on. Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals through symbolism, paradox,
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides a reflection on the societal issues and attitudes of a modernist, post-war era. The “Roaring Twenties” was an age of prosperity, consumerism and liberalism that led to unprecedented economic growth and significant changes in culture and lifestyle. The right to vote redefined women’s roles and gave rise to a “new breed” known as the flapper, that drank, wore excessive makeup, and flaunted her disdain for conventionalism. The introduction of prohibition led to an increased demand for black market alcohol and bootlegging, thereby providing a financial basis for organized crime. Despite the progression, the 1920s was an era of social tensions
Echoes of Excess: Exploring the Mysteries of the 1920s The 1920s, often referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”, are remembered in American History as a time of swift social transformation and great economic expansion. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a compelling novel that captures the essence of this period. Set in the posh town of West Egg on Long Island during the Summer of 1922, the novel follows the enigmatic Jay Gatsby as he embarks on a quest to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan, who is caught in a love triangle with her husband, Tom. Fitzgerald’s novel reflects the aspirations of the era, emphasizing the appeal of wealth, the pursuit of the American Dream, and the moral dilemmas hidden beneath success. Set against the
The USA in the 1920s is remembered as the ‘Roaring Twenties’, an age of new life, of hedonism and opportunity following the horrors the Great War. The decade is synonymous with wealth, materialism and unprecedented freedom. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby provides an insight into the exciting and prosperous lives of the American people as they embark on the limitless potential of the American Dream and therefore it conveys a picture of 1920s American society. With
Wealth, parties, and connections, were three things that were important to anyone looking to be anyone in East New York’s high society in the Roaring 20s. F. Scott Fitzgerald captured all three with his literary voice. He made impressions everywhere with the supreme achievement of his third novel, The Great Gatsby. This novel is a tale of people’s exciting lives in the 1920’s. Fitzgerald uses the Great Gatsby to illustrate the American identity during the early twentieth century. Fitzgerald uses symbolism and narrative techniques to illustrate the materialistic chase of the American dream by upper-class society in the 20's.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is considered among the greatest of Jazz Age literature. The novel is from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a quiet midwesterner, and focuses on Jay Gatsby, a mysterious, newly wealthy young man. Gatsby’s pursuit shifts from wealth, the woman he loves, and ultimately his downfall. Set during the 1920’s, Fitzgerald creates a social commentary on the materialism, corruption of the American dream and absence of morals of the time period. Fitzgerald indicates the differences between “old” and “new” money as well as the middle and lower classes. His depiction of the deep pocketed East Eggers, who have prejudiced social attitudes, reflects especially on the blue blood of the 1920’s. Fitzgerald uses motifs throughout the novel to allow the reader to glance at the lifestyle of high society.
In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald writes about the distinctions between the social classes and status during the twentieth century. Fitzgerald's novel takes place in the 1920's after World War 1, which was a time of excess and wealth. The "roaring '20s" set a perfect stage for Fitzgerald to use setting to explain the differences between the three social classes in his book.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel set in the 1920’s that illustrates the society of the “Roaring Twenties.” The main characters’ goals, dreams, and roles are influenced greatly by their gender. During this time in America, an unspoken social code and stereotypes often determined the lives of men and women. Although there are more differences than similarities when it came to the responsibilities in the 1920’s, the motivation behind their actions was often the same.
In this essay, it will talk about the book “Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and talk about the time period this book takes place. This book took place in the 1920’s. This essay will talk about what society was like, what people were like and what the relationships were like.
Wealth, parties, and connections, were three things that were important to anyone looking to be a part of the exclusive high society of East New York in the Roaring 20’s. F. Scott Fitzgerald captured all three with his literary voice. He made impressions everywhere with the supreme achievement of his third novel, The Great Gatsby. This novel is a tale of people’s sensational lives in the 1920’s. Fitzgerald uses The Great Gatsby to exemplify the American identity during the early twentieth century. Fitzgerald uses symbolism and other narrative techniques to illustrate the materialistic chase of the American dream by upper-class society in the 20's.
The Great Gatsby is a novel of triumph and tragedy, noted for the remarkable way it pictures the big difference in the American society. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald comes across many themes, such as, justice, power, greed, betrayal, the American dream, and so many other themes. Of all the themes, perhaps none is better developed than the one referring to social class structure. The Great Gatsby is without dough one of the most brilliant pieces of social commentary, offering us a vivid peek into American life during the 1920s. By creating distinct social classes, old money, new money, and no money, the author sends strong messages about the elitism running throughout every level of society.
After Francis Scott Fitzgerald published one of his most famous novels, The Great Gatsby in the year of 1925, the novel became one of the most credited, reviewed, and analyzed pieces of fiction ever in American literature history. The most prominent fiction analysis of gang members and the produced social conditions in the 1920s. The novel, The Great Gatsby shows an excellent portrayal of the 1920s when it seemed that everything was possible then, or people thought it was. In the Great Gatsby, the conditions regarding the social, historical, and economic conditions that motivates the characters are simply described by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Francis Scott Fitzgerald justifies the characters' behaviors and actions by providing the readers with an perceptive on the characters'
F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the few known writers of the twenties. The American writer is given credit for the term ‘Jazz Age,’ immortalizing the glamorous world of wild parties of the upper social classes. Many see The Great Gatsby serving as historical documentation of the era. While Fitzgeralds writing can be described as poetic presenting itself in prose, his works often contain underlying social or Marxist criticism rooted in spectacular imagery. In his review of F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Man and his Work by Alfred Kazin, argues, “his work engaged the attention of the best critical minds of our day” (509). The various aspects of Fitzgerald’s work allow for analysis on several levels and from differing perspectives, while functioning as a mirror through which to view society, values, and ideals. This statement speaks truth to The Great Gatsby, published in 1925. The Great Gatsby is a true product of its time. Researchers Rupali Mirza, Kent Cartwright, Thomas Boyle, have looked at the story with the theme of decadence and excess of the time as focal point. Rupali Mirza’s study in “F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby” puts it in a historical and cultural perspective, examining the trends of the time period and the idea of the American Dream. Ruth Prigozy, Matthew Bruccoli, Alberto Lena, and Andrew Turnbull offer insight on Fitzgerald’s work shedding light on the way Fitzgerald uses the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, portrayed through his
In Wuthering Heights, Bronte develops the character, Heathcliff a young man, who was driven into hatred, and wishes to seek revenge on those who treated him poorly. At the beginning of the novel, it starts with Mr. Earnshaw entering Wuthering Heights with an orphan boy who he found in the streets of Liverpool. Soon, Mr. Earnshaw names the orphan Heathcliff. Heathcliff became part of the Earnshaw family as well as one of the favorites sons. There he became good friends with Catherine Earnshaw however, one of the members of the family was not so pleased to live with Heathcliff in the same house. This character was Hindley, who thought of Heathcliff as someone lower that him, a bastard who belongs with the help. Later on Hindley is sent away for school, and after the death of his father he returns back home with a wife Frances. There, Hindley is decided to make Heathcliff’s life impossible, he is treated as a slave, and is told to act as one of the servants. Heathcliff says "I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed, and behaved as well, and had a chance of being as rich as he will be!"(Bronte pp. 50.) After a while, Heathcliff decides to leave everything behind, including his beloved Catherine. Years pass, and he returns as a refined man that wants to destroy Hindley’s happiness by talking