Clothes as a Symbol of Social Status in the Great Gatsby
Price of Life
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, uses clothes as a symbol of social status. Clothes can show how wealthy or poor someone is. The clothes of the characters in this novel are used not just to show off wealth, they also symbolize the characters' deception and bad decisions. This symbol is shown throughout the novel by various characters, such as Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and the Wilsons. Jay Gatsby uses his clothes to attempt to fit in with the other rich people and to impress Daisy. Gatsby is showing Daisy his vast shirt collection, she begins to cry, "They’re such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. "It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before” (92). These expensive shirts not only impressed Daisy like he wanted, but it also made Daisy realize she chose the wrong man. He is showing off his new found wealth through the shirts and that is the only purpose of them. When Gatsby is talking about his time in Oxford, Tom calls him out "An Oxford man!" He was incredulous. "Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit" (122). Tom is saying that the pink suit Gatsby has is ridiculous and he does not fit in. The pink suit, along with Gatsby’s yellow Rolls Royce, are symbols of Gatsby trying too hard to fit into this fancy lifestyle. Gatsby was never meant to fit in with these people in the Eggs. He uses all the money he now has to fit in and impress his love, Daisy. Daisy Buchanan made a critical mistake in her life; she made a decision based on money and her clothes show that mistake. Jordan is telling Nick a story about how Daisy made her decision, she tells him "Here, deares’." She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. "Take ‘em down-stairs and give ‘em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ‘em all Daisy’s change’ her mind. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’ "She began to cry – she cried and cried. I rushed out and found
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, uses clothes as a symbol of social status. Clothes can show how wealthy or poor someone is. The clothes of the characters in this novel are used not just to show off wealth, they also symbolize the characters' deception and bad decisions. This symbol is shown throughout the novel by various characters, such as Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and the Wilsons. Jay Gatsby uses his clothes to attempt to fit in with the other rich people and to impress Daisy. Gatsby is showing Daisy his vast shirt collection, she begins to cry, "They’re such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. "It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before” (92). These expensive shirts not only impressed Daisy like he wanted, but it also made Daisy realize she chose the wrong man. He is showing off his new found wealth through the shirts and that is the only purpose of them. When Gatsby is talking about his time in Oxford, Tom calls him out "An Oxford man!" He was incredulous. "Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit" (122). Tom is saying that the pink suit Gatsby has is ridiculous and he does not fit in. The pink suit, along with Gatsby’s yellow Rolls Royce, are symbols of Gatsby trying too hard to fit into this fancy lifestyle. Gatsby was never meant to fit in with these people in the Eggs. He uses all the money he now has to fit in and impress his love, Daisy. Daisy Buchanan made a critical mistake in her life; she made a decision based on money and her clothes show that mistake. Jordan is telling Nick a story about how Daisy made her decision, she tells him "Here, deares’." She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. "Take ‘em down-stairs and give ‘em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ‘em all Daisy’s change’ her mind. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’ "She began to cry – she cried and cried. I rushed out and found