Marxism In The Great Gatsby

Throughout the history of capitalism there have been those who were rich; unfortunately there also have been those trapped in poverty as a result of capitalism. “The Great Gatsby” is a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald that shows the advantages of being rich in the roaring twenties of America, and the disadvantages of being poor in this time period. Through the Marxist lens, Mr. Wilson’s actions represent the discrimination and oppression of the poor, consequently this class distinction lead him to destruction. For example, Mr. Wilson lives in the Valley of Ash, a place filled with the poverty stricken. His housing situation shows that he is a person who is trapped with wealth out of his grasps. The rich were willing to drive through …show more content…
Wilson was part of the working class, so the rich who do not need to work, demand that he always worked in a way that most appeased them. Tom Buchanan only cared about himself and having other people appease him. Tom’s belief that no one is as good as him and lack of patience for his car repair leads him to say" works pretty slow, don 't he?" (29). Tom Buchanan did not care about the lower class because he believed he was better than them. Even though Mr. Wilson was clearly sick Tom Buchanan wants him to do his job. In a manner filled with disgust Tom says, to a clearly sick Mr. Wilson "Well should I help myself then?" (128). Even though George was nearly deathly ill, Tom was too lazy to pump his own gas. This shows that Mr. Wilson was a person who was trapped poverty, and Mr. Buchanan was a man clouded by his belief that he was superior to …show more content…
Wilson to kill Gatsby in cold blood. Tom Buchanan told Mr. Wilson that Jay Gatsby had been driving the car that ripped his wife apart and did not stop driving after he had killed her. Nick Carraway realizes "so by that time [Wilson] already knew his name." (168). The only person who knew it was Gatsby that ran Myrtle over was Tom Buchanan showing he told him because he thought Wilson would kill him. This shows that Tom has no problem having those that he sees as dirt kill for him. Daisy was rich and careless and killed Myrtle. Jay Gatsby explains "Daisy first turned away towards the other car, then she lost her nerve and turned back." (151). Daisy neither tried to slow down nor swerve off the road around Myrtle because she thought that her life was far more important than Myrtle because Myrtle was just a poor woman who lived in the fields of