America in the 1920s Was Far from the Classless Society Promised by the American Dream. Develop Your Response to This Statement.
The American dream was one that promised for quality. Any individual should be able to achieve success through their own ambition and hard work, without being held back by their social class or family background. Fitzgerald shows that America in the 1920s was far from what the American dream promised. The characters are defined by their relationships with money. It has an effect on everything about them; how they act, how they are seen by themselves and others, and if they don't have money no one really cares about them. For example, Myrtle. She has little money and so naturally the other characters simply disrespect her, mainly Tom who treats her horribly, i.e. breaking her nose when she mentions Daisy. Yet she still goes back to him under the impression that money can buy her happiness. Money causes a social divide in 'The Great Gatsby.' People who live in East Egg and come from old money (inherited it) look down on those from West Egg simply because they are new money (earned it through business.) East Egg find themselves superior due to family history of those in West Egg. They are everything against what the American dream stands for, it became corrupted. Within the novel in Chapter 7, Gatsby describes Daisy by saying "Her voice is full of money" showing Daisy's desire for money that ever her voice screams she has much of it.
Money was only one thing that created different classes and social divide. Within 'The Great Gatsby' most characters are rich, while Americans, however characters such as Meyer Wolfshiem show that ethnic groups still existed. Many immigrants moved to America to persure the American dream in the 19th century, many of which settled in New York. This led to tension with other ethnic groups. Other immigrants, who now identified themselves as Americans, did not like the arrival of new immigrants. However, overall racism was still at a high and African Americans were still treated like second-class people.
Even though women's rights were
Money was only one thing that created different classes and social divide. Within 'The Great Gatsby' most characters are rich, while Americans, however characters such as Meyer Wolfshiem show that ethnic groups still existed. Many immigrants moved to America to persure the American dream in the 19th century, many of which settled in New York. This led to tension with other ethnic groups. Other immigrants, who now identified themselves as Americans, did not like the arrival of new immigrants. However, overall racism was still at a high and African Americans were still treated like second-class people.
Even though women's rights were