The Great Gatsby
Classist ideologies dominated thinking during the time The Great Gatsby was written, which lead to problematic bigotry in the novel. The Great Gatsby is a romantic story written in the early 20th century by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel follows Nick Caraway as he retells the story of Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Jay Gatsby in fictional New York. Jay Gatsby has accumulated wealth in order to woo Tom’s wife Daisy. After spending a majority of the text trying to get in touch with Daisy, he finally reconnects with her and they rekindle their romance. At the end of the novel, Gatsby is shot, not long after having confronted Tom Buchanan. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald’s racial biases promote and exploit the …show more content…
After arriving at lunch with Mr. Jay Gatsby the reader is introduced to a new character, entrusted with the role of exposing the mystery behind Gatsby’s wealth and the immoral means by which he achieves it. To fulfill this role, Fitzgerald creates a racist caricature of a Jewish man immediately described as having, "A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the half-darkness." (pg. 69). The obvious bigotry in describing a people that are Jewish in such a racist and stereotypical light is made worse by the fact that this character is set up to be hated by the audience as a villain. Fitzgerald reduces Mr. Wolfshiem from a person to a mere animal without honor. He is a caricature of a Jewish Kingpin and by doing so highlights the writer’s own bigotry. Meyer is shown as being very wealthy, but the means he came upon said wealth is less than honorary. Again, a message of not mixing the financial classes is highlighted and embodied in this character. Midway through the same meal, the same problematic dehumanization of Meyer Wolfsheim and Jewish people in general is continued by Fitzgerald. "A succulent hash arrived, and Mr. Wolfshiem, forgetting the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropole, began to eat with ferocious delicacy. His eyes, meanwhile, roved very slowly all around the room-he completed the arc by turning to inspect the people directly behind. I think that, except for my presence, he would have taken one short glance beneath our table." Fitzgerald pictures Meyer Wolfsheim as ravaging through his food, much like an animal, in the same way Fitzgerald would paint any other picture-esc scene. The inelegance is equivocated to his lack of class which results
Classist ideologies dominated thinking during the time The Great Gatsby was written, which lead to problematic bigotry in the novel. The Great Gatsby is a romantic story written in the early 20th century by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel follows Nick Caraway as he retells the story of Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Jay Gatsby in fictional New York. Jay Gatsby has accumulated wealth in order to woo Tom’s wife Daisy. After spending a majority of the text trying to get in touch with Daisy, he finally reconnects with her and they rekindle their romance. At the end of the novel, Gatsby is shot, not long after having confronted Tom Buchanan. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald’s racial biases promote and exploit the …show more content…
After arriving at lunch with Mr. Jay Gatsby the reader is introduced to a new character, entrusted with the role of exposing the mystery behind Gatsby’s wealth and the immoral means by which he achieves it. To fulfill this role, Fitzgerald creates a racist caricature of a Jewish man immediately described as having, "A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the half-darkness." (pg. 69). The obvious bigotry in describing a people that are Jewish in such a racist and stereotypical light is made worse by the fact that this character is set up to be hated by the audience as a villain. Fitzgerald reduces Mr. Wolfshiem from a person to a mere animal without honor. He is a caricature of a Jewish Kingpin and by doing so highlights the writer’s own bigotry. Meyer is shown as being very wealthy, but the means he came upon said wealth is less than honorary. Again, a message of not mixing the financial classes is highlighted and embodied in this character. Midway through the same meal, the same problematic dehumanization of Meyer Wolfsheim and Jewish people in general is continued by Fitzgerald. "A succulent hash arrived, and Mr. Wolfshiem, forgetting the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropole, began to eat with ferocious delicacy. His eyes, meanwhile, roved very slowly all around the room-he completed the arc by turning to inspect the people directly behind. I think that, except for my presence, he would have taken one short glance beneath our table." Fitzgerald pictures Meyer Wolfsheim as ravaging through his food, much like an animal, in the same way Fitzgerald would paint any other picture-esc scene. The inelegance is equivocated to his lack of class which results