Class Hierarchy in The Great Gatsby Essay Example

There are times in everyone’s life where they experience discrimination provided by pre-established social norms. For Jay Gatsby, he dealt with an economic prejudice by acquiring vast amounts of wealth through bootlegging and other shady practices to build himself a large abundance of money in a considerably short amount of time, making him new money. He does this to be with a generationally wealthy girl, Daisy, which in the setting the novel takes place in, is impossible due to the omnipresent class hierarchy that dictates that individuals from different classes can not intertwine, this case being old and new money. In the novel The Great Gatsby, the incorporation of the class hierarchy during 1920’s New York is the leading obstacle for Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, and his ambitions when specifically considering the effects the chief demographic known as “old money”, which was the highest-ranking in this hierarchy, and its mentality had on him.

The mindset of generational wealth, which is represented through Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, is the most significant roadblock for Gatsby’s dreams as it hinders him from being viewed as their equal, thus making it impossible for him to be with Daisy. For instance, when Gatsby and Tom were arguing about who Daisy loved, the former stated that Daisy only married Tom because Gatsby was poor and she was tired of waiting to settle down with the lifestyle she is used to (Fitzgerald 84). This illustrates that Gatsby’s former destitute life was the only roadblock between him and Daisy as that was the sole catalyst that led Daisy to marry Tom. Consequently, he acquired vast amounts of wealth to be with her as they should be on the same level economically, but he was still considered inferior. This is shown through the continuation of their argument when Tom defines Gatsby as a “common swindler” that would have to steal a ring to put on Daisy's hand (Fitzgerald 86). This argument exemplifies the major class difference between new and old money because even though Gatsby accumulated all this money, he was still considered to be below Daisy and Tom as the name and theoretical situation for him possesses an extremely negative connotation.

Furthermore, when Gatsby demanded Daisy to establish that she never loved Tom, she started to do such, but as the whole argument progressed, she said that she could not, even if she was alone as it would be a lie (Fitzgerald 86). Finalizing her decision with the juxtaposition of whether or not she loves Tom emphasizes that she is leaning towards being with him rather than Gatsby as stating she has at least loved Tom for a bit after denying it illustrates such. So after the whole tribulation, Daisy and Tom go back to their home, where it seems they resolve the flaws in their marriage as there is a “natural intimacy” surrounding them (Fitzgerald 94). Therefore it is solidified that Daisy chose Tom over Gatsby as the imagery of the whole sight implies that they worked everything out as a result of their intimacy. So, Daisy chose Tom because she wanted “her life shaped” and that had to be made by some “force”, whether it was for the money and “unquestionable practicality” (Fitzgerald 97). This indicates that Daisy chose Tom due to the mere fact that he was a part of generational wealth as it was more practical for her to be with someone of the same economic status, not new money like Gatsby. She wanted a life that she has always been accustomed to, so she could not come to terms sacrificing that life with Gatsby, someone who generational wealth dictates to be inferior to both Daisy and Tom.

The antagonist, the mindset of generational wealth, is symbolic of the culture that the novel occupies. For instance, when the attendees to Gatsby’s frequent parties were pondering on what he was like, Jordan states that he gives large parties so it did not matter (Fitzgerald 31). The frequency of Gatsby’s exuberant parties is exemplary of the discriminatory mentality old money had in 1920s New York. In this setting, individuals of the new money class would commonly throw parties to show off their wealth in an attempt to look equal to generational wealth, but old money always looked down upon these activities because they thought it unnecessary. Consequently, old money saw them as inferior, which directly blocked Gatsby from getting to be with Daisy as it was determined that they were not on the same level socially. 

Additionally, when Tom and two other generationally wealthy people went to Gatsby’s house for a break while horseback riding, the woman within the pair asked Gatsby to attend her dinner. During this interaction between the woman and Gatsby, it was subtly suggested by Mr. Sloane, the other member within the pair, through his gestures that Gatsby was unwelcomed, but even throughout this, he still agreed (Fitzgerald 65 - 66). As a result, Tom looked down on Gatsby as he could not pick up on the social cues that were implied to be common for old money as every other participant intercepted it because he saw it as obvious and anyone who did not notice was educationally insufficient. This is a reflection of generational wealth’s superiority complex compared to other classes with Tom’s beratement of Gatsby.

Finally, the physical setting within the novel is indicative of the social divide between old and new money. In the novel, there are two identical islands by a bay, those being West Egg, which was associated with new money, and East Egg, old money, although the former was considered the less luxurious of the two (Fitzgerald 3). This bay embodies a physical barrier between old and new money, pre-determining that they are two separate classes, with West Egg being inferior as a result of their lacking affluence. Moreover, a person’s economic status depends on where they live. So, Gatsby living at West Egg while Daisy and Tom occupy East Egg emphasizes the differentiation of status between them as a result of the setting, implicating the impossibility of Gatsby being with Daisy with their addresses.