Social Class In The Great Gatsby

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Fitzgerald tries to represent Nick’s social class through geography and setting in chapter one. Throughout this chapter we see Nick’s money driven and hypocritical personality. When describing his new place Nick says he is “squeezed between two huge places” and how he has “the consoling proximity of millionaires.” Living between these two mansions portrays Nick’s social class compared to the people around him. The fact that he is being “squeezed” shows us how suffocated he feels trying to keep up with the social classes around him. Nick uses sarcasm to put up a wall, trying not to show us that he is in fact jealous of the millionaires around him. Nick skims over describing his new home calling it a “small eyesore” and nothing else, showing us how insecure he is about his living condition. Instead he talks about both Gatsby’s and Tom’s houses in great detail. “ It was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy”. The fact that he…show more content…
Tom tries to show his social dominance by retorting to a question with: “just because I’m stronger and more of a man than you are.” This shows us how he likes to show off his power and social class by rising above anyone he thinks is lower in class, making sure they know of that. When Nick starts to describe Tom’s garden he mentions “a half acre of deep, pungent roses”. The deep bush of roses shows that Tom’s house has been lived in and how much money they have due to the half acre of roses. When talking to Nick about his job, he again establishes male dominance. “Never heard of them,’ he remarked decisively.” His sudden answer shows how he doesn’t give Nick time to speak accentuating the difference in social classes. Fitzgerald shows interest in the importance of geographical placement again where Tom says: “Oh I’ll stay in the East… I’d be a God damned fool to live anywhere else.” This shows his establishment and aggression even though he knows Nick lives in the
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