Social Class Divide In The Great Gatsby

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The Social Class Divide Wealth separates individuals into opposing realms of society with drastically different characteristics. “All history has been a history of class struggles between dominated classes at various stages of social development and it is the tendency of social burdens to crush out the middle class, and to focus society into an organization of only two classes, one at each social extreme.”(Karl Marx). Socialist philosopher Karl Marx describes social class throughout history as a continuous and inflexible divide that is still evident in society today. Social class segregates the rich from the poor and affects one’s behavior towards society, level of influence, and relationships, as shown in The Great Gatsby. Intemperate displays of wealth alter one’s relationship with the rest of the population. In The Great Gatsby, “Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders”(Fitzgerald 35) as she assumed the role of the rich. Myrtle’s relationship with others of the lower class changes as she momentarily acclimates with the…show more content…
Jeffery Brown claims “rich people are more likely to break the law while driving, cheat in a game of chance, and to lie during negotiations and endorse unethical behavior”(Brown), to provide insight on the behavior differences of the rich versus the poor. Being rich causes a change in behavior because it provides a placebo of power over to the wealthy over the less fortunate. “Rich start to attribute success to their own individual skills and talents, and become less attuned to all of the other things that contributed to them being in the position they are in” (Brown). The behavior of the rich diverts as they become more self-centered and focus on their personal accomplishments, while the poor demonstrate more continued generosity and awareness. Wealth accumulation contributes to the evolving behavior citizens have towards

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