The rich become richer as the poor becomes poorer. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the extreme gap between the social classes causes havoc, and in the end, death. The lower class lives in bad conditions, covered in ashes. This area known as The Valley of Ashes, is the dumping grounds between the two more favorable areas of West and East Egg. The eggs, only separated by a body of water are completely different because of the people that live in the areas. East egg is home to all of the rich people; while West egg is more of the people who belong in the middle class, excluding the one and only, Jay Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald uses the characters Myrtle, Nick, Gatsby, and the Buchanan’s to showcase the differences between the
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While Myrtle desperately wants to be a part of the more desirable class, she is stuck in the lower class because of limited social class mobility. In the end, her double life with Tom does not work out as she planned. Gatsby lives a luxurious life, with all of the money he could possibly want. In between comes Nick from the middle class, not necessarily fitting in with either of the groups, Nick understands the challenges of both. The geography of these New York City suburbs renders the social classes to develop any empathy for each other.
Characterized by their gloomy lives, the lower class of the novel made a less than sparkling appearance. Living in The Valley of Ashes was not what anyone was shooting for, but the people living there made the best of their situation. When asking someone from the upper class what they thought about the lower class, they would not recognize them as people, instead they were like animals, inferior to the wealthy upper class. The lower class might not have succeeded the American Dream, but the lower class lived with dignity. People such as Wilson attempted to …show more content…
Money gave people an upper hand in situations; Tom and Daisy took these privileges and abused them. Being rich during the 1920s was a big privilege, especially when living around the Valley of Ashes where a majority of the poor people of the New York city suburbs resided. There were other people who were as rich as Buchanan 's, such as Gatsby. These people used their money so that they could get around lies and did not care much what happened to their money. For instance, Tom spent money to buy an apartment in New York City so that he could try to conceal his relationship with Myrtle. Tom and Daisy were careless, “they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money” (179). Tom and Daisy used their money as a shield, and thought that they were superior to the people from less favorable conditions. Both Tom and Daisy dismantled the Wilson family, but in different ways. Tom used his money to lure Myrtle into the fantasy-like lifestyle of parties, money, and complete absurdity. Myrtle fantasized of that lifestyle, and since George could not provide that for her, she fell for Tom because of his money. She wanted the status of being an “elite” in this money-centered society, to the point where she even endured getting hit by Tom so that she could reach this status. Without Tom’s money, Myrtle would have never fallen for him so quickly
While Myrtle desperately wants to be a part of the more desirable class, she is stuck in the lower class because of limited social class mobility. In the end, her double life with Tom does not work out as she planned. Gatsby lives a luxurious life, with all of the money he could possibly want. In between comes Nick from the middle class, not necessarily fitting in with either of the groups, Nick understands the challenges of both. The geography of these New York City suburbs renders the social classes to develop any empathy for each other.
Characterized by their gloomy lives, the lower class of the novel made a less than sparkling appearance. Living in The Valley of Ashes was not what anyone was shooting for, but the people living there made the best of their situation. When asking someone from the upper class what they thought about the lower class, they would not recognize them as people, instead they were like animals, inferior to the wealthy upper class. The lower class might not have succeeded the American Dream, but the lower class lived with dignity. People such as Wilson attempted to …show more content…
Money gave people an upper hand in situations; Tom and Daisy took these privileges and abused them. Being rich during the 1920s was a big privilege, especially when living around the Valley of Ashes where a majority of the poor people of the New York city suburbs resided. There were other people who were as rich as Buchanan 's, such as Gatsby. These people used their money so that they could get around lies and did not care much what happened to their money. For instance, Tom spent money to buy an apartment in New York City so that he could try to conceal his relationship with Myrtle. Tom and Daisy were careless, “they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money” (179). Tom and Daisy used their money as a shield, and thought that they were superior to the people from less favorable conditions. Both Tom and Daisy dismantled the Wilson family, but in different ways. Tom used his money to lure Myrtle into the fantasy-like lifestyle of parties, money, and complete absurdity. Myrtle fantasized of that lifestyle, and since George could not provide that for her, she fell for Tom because of his money. She wanted the status of being an “elite” in this money-centered society, to the point where she even endured getting hit by Tom so that she could reach this status. Without Tom’s money, Myrtle would have never fallen for him so quickly