Preview

Comparison of the Great Gatsby, Leisure Class, and Teaching in Tehran

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
912 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparison of the Great Gatsby, Leisure Class, and Teaching in Tehran
David Jang
AP Lang
Dr. Young
3/21/12

Class differences in society are a major impact on the lifestyle of people. Even today we can see how it effects how a person experiences their life. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we can clearly see how Gatsby 's social status changes while in Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi we can see how class differences effect the opinions of the people in the class. The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen also demonstrates the philosophy and the dynamics of the differences between the rich and the poor. In these three works, status is portrayed as a dominant force in shaping one 's educational and/or social experience.
In The Great Gatsby we can see how one 's status effects a person 's educational and/or social experience. Gatsby was born into a poor family and so he wasn 't able to get a proper education. Instead he worked as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher, unlike Tom and Nick who had the best education due to their higher status and abundance of money. Gatsby had a different social experiece from Nick who was raised as a wealthy young boy who knew of his status. This acted as a confidence booster, one that assured him of his identity. Nick 's father once said to him " 'Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone...just remember that all the people in this world haven 't had the advantages that you 've had" (1). Gatsby, on the other hand, had a different social experience. Gatsby wasn 't spoiled and became mature at a younger age. However, when Gatsby moves to West Egg, his educational and social experiences now differ from his past due to him being a higher status. Gatsby, now a wealthy man, is able to pursue an education with more confidence. He is also able to experience a new social standing. An example of him excercising his new wealth and position in society is his hosting of popular parties in which he is able to observe how higher class people interact. Despite this he is always



Cited: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. (1925) New York: Scribner, 2004. Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. New York: Random House 2003 Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. (1899) New York: Penguin, 1944

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald, shows different views of his characters throughout showing his eagerness, selling out, the American dream, et cetera. Of the considerable number of subjects, maybe none is more very much created than that of social stratification. The Great Gatsby is viewed as a splendid bit of social critique, offering a striking look into American life in the 1920s. Fitzgerald deliberately sets up his novel into particular gatherings be that as it may, at last, each gathering has its own particular issues to battle with, leaving an effective indication of what a dubious place the world truly is. By making particular social classes — old cash, new cash, and no cash — Fitzgerald sends solid messages about the elitism running…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The three main social classes in the Great Gatsby had many barriers and conflicts to overcome amongst each other and with themselves throughout the story. The three social classes in the story are the “new money” (Gatsby), “old money” (Tom, Daisy, and Jordan), and the “no money” (Myrtle and Wilson). The new money was Gatsby, He was a young, rich party man who threw parties every night. The old money was made up of Tom, Daisy, and Jordan. They all got their fortunes from pure ways; however they were very careless and unforgiving people, Nick says that “They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated to their money, or their vast carelessness” (Fitzgerald 179). Lastly there is the no money social class which is made up of Myrtle and Wilson. They lived in deplorable conditions and ran a gas station business straight out…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He is both self-abased and confident person. On the one hand, Gatsby never acknowledge that he is an offspring of farmers, he believe he can enter into high-class society in one day. However, nobilities such like Tom can not tolerated Gatsby. In Tom’s view, nobilities has privilege is normal and can not tolerate other forces to share these privilege. Thus, although Gatsby set up a ladder which leads to high-class society by his illegal money, he still not has a place in high-class society, let along share equal rights. No matter how he shows off his wealth or replaces his names, he is the little guy who from the bottom of society forever and still under attack and exclusion, therefore the broken of his American Dream is inevitable. On the other hand, Gatsby lacks a clear understanding about American high-class society. Daisy’s family background and social circles are ideal symbol for Gatsby, Gatsby put his whole life to weave his beautiful dream so that he can not see the hypocrisy which hides in American high-class society. Gatsby hold many grand banquets constantly before his death and many people joint these banquets, but after Gatsby died, there is no former guests appear in his funeral (Zhang, 2005). This is the true face of high-class society, unfortunately, Gatsby never realize it…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the illustration of the contemporary American society of the Jazz Age. It is noted in the text that social status and class prevail there and play very significant roles concerning various issues in the light of American Dream. This classification is mainly an aftermath of World War One because of disillusionment and pursuit of wealth. Three types of social class people, upper class, middle class, and lower class, are nicely presented by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. The dominance of the rich over the poor is a noted effect of this social stratification in this novel. People try to change their existed social class and upgrade reputation by any means. As a result, the characters of the novel become…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Theme

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In conclusion, there are many factors of how wealth and social status is portrayed in this story. The location of where the characters live, how Gatsby’s portrays his life and the actions of the characters their complicated situations are all factors of their wealth and social status. Wealth is a dangerous privilege. Having money may seem like you have everything, but it can destroy relationships and in this novel, even…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Naked Citadel

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Nafisi, Azar. “Selections From Reading Lolita in Tehran.” The New Humanities Reader. 4th ed. Bost: Wadsworth, 2012. 247-267. Print.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the story, Jay Gatsby has a high economic status, and is also high in the social status when it comes to business, but not when it comes to knowing and caring for people. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is concentrated on his one goal, to lure Daisy Buchanan back into his life. Everything in his life is based on her like what he does and what he spends his money on. He stays determined by not drinking and having all of these…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The mystery behind Jay Gatsby allows for him to become one of the most intriguing members of the upper class. As Gatsby’s background unravels, it becomes clear that Fitzgerald chose Jay Gatsby as the main character because he defies every social normality in the 1920’s. By Fitzgerald’s writing, the reader realizes that Gatsby’s mindset separates him from others. Everything Gatsby has accomplished in the past five years is because of his dedication, ambition, and integrity in following in his dreams which Fitzgerald greatly admires. The social class one is born into is the one they belong to their entire life, unless you are Jay Gatsby. Although Gatsby attempts to convince people that his entire life has consisted of lavish and wealthy things,…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Comparing the Unlikely

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the narrator, Prufrock, has similarities to and can be most closely compared to the character Gatsby, from "The Great Gatsby." The main reason is that, though their fates are different, they have similar personalities centering around the phrase, "Do I dare?" They also have built up lives around the masks they wear.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Trask, David F. "A Note on Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby." EXPLORING Novels. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources In Context. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby: An Outsider

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The rich act in a manner that is hard to learn without experience. Gatsby was part of "new money", he had acquired his money and some of his behavior was uncommon to the upper-class community. The upper-class community did not appreciate Gatsby wealth and status. Jealousy and ignorance from people like Tom made Gatsby feel as if he was not wanted. Gatsby felt uncomfortable and treated like an intruder. He was always considered an outsider looking in.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gatsby vs Tom

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The two characters, Tom and Gatsby, both value success and social status highly. One way they show this, is by insulting those less wealthy, or demeaning the social status of others. Tom belittles the social status and “new money” of Gatsby in the following quote; "She’s not leaving me!” Tom’s words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. “Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger.” (pg. 131) in saying this, Tom degrades Gatsby wealth, comparing him to a “common swindler”. Manny of Toms jabs to Jay were from a financial standpoint, indicating that without wealth there is a large amount of disrespect. Gatsby valued success and social status because it was the only way he would win the approval of Daisy, this can be observed here; “That huge place there?” she cried pointing. “Do you like it?”(Gatsby) “I love it, but I don’t see how you live there all alone.” (Daisy) “I keep it always full of interesting people, night and day. People who do interesting things. Celebrated people.” (Gatsby) (pg. 90). In the mentioned conversation between Daisy and Gatsby, Gatsby both flaunts his wealth to Daisy (“huge place”) and also boasts his social status by indicating that important people and “Celebrated people” are constant visitors to him.…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In The Great Gatsby, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, indeed his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father 's words about Nick 's "advantages", which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were spiritual or moral advantages.…

    • 1847 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby does move up in money but not socially. From Gatsby’s parties we first find out that…

    • 492 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gatsby and Hamlet

    • 2218 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Hazlitt, William.Characters of Shakespeare 's Plays qtd. as "Hamlet 's Power of Action" in Harold…

    • 2218 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays