Gatsby
Danny Olson
Fliegel
English 11 Honors
1/2/15
The marxist critical theory critiques capitalism and its overall success. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has many critiques of the capitalist system through this particular lens. The book critiques capitalism through its views on the classes of America during the 1920s. The very opening of The Great Gatsby sets the tone for a book about society and class. We know immediately that the narrator is privileged, and that he is painfully conscious of it. In the beginning Nick talks about his childhood, and something that his father had told him many years ago: "just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1). This simply shows that Nick was raised to never judge someone unless you know what they have been through, due to the fact that not all people will have the same opportunities in life. This shows that all of Nick’s views are ones that are very well thought out and help us to better understand and differentiate between the classes. On the way from West Egg to New York City, Tom and Nick pass through “a valley of ashes—where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly” (27). These “ash-grey men” of the working class appear in sharp contrast to men like Tom Buchanan, men of the leisure class. In the class struggle between workers and owners (oppressed and oppressors). Another good example of this better treatment of the upper class is when Gatsby and Nick are going to have lunch and a police officer tries to pull them over and then Gatsby pulls out a white card and the officer lets them leave. Gatsby then explains to Nick that the card is the invite to the police commissioner’s christmas party. This shows that Gatsby gets better treatment than a regular citizen due to the fact that he is good friends with the police commissioner.
Fliegel
English 11 Honors
1/2/15
The marxist critical theory critiques capitalism and its overall success. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has many critiques of the capitalist system through this particular lens. The book critiques capitalism through its views on the classes of America during the 1920s. The very opening of The Great Gatsby sets the tone for a book about society and class. We know immediately that the narrator is privileged, and that he is painfully conscious of it. In the beginning Nick talks about his childhood, and something that his father had told him many years ago: "just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1). This simply shows that Nick was raised to never judge someone unless you know what they have been through, due to the fact that not all people will have the same opportunities in life. This shows that all of Nick’s views are ones that are very well thought out and help us to better understand and differentiate between the classes. On the way from West Egg to New York City, Tom and Nick pass through “a valley of ashes—where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly” (27). These “ash-grey men” of the working class appear in sharp contrast to men like Tom Buchanan, men of the leisure class. In the class struggle between workers and owners (oppressed and oppressors). Another good example of this better treatment of the upper class is when Gatsby and Nick are going to have lunch and a police officer tries to pull them over and then Gatsby pulls out a white card and the officer lets them leave. Gatsby then explains to Nick that the card is the invite to the police commissioner’s christmas party. This shows that Gatsby gets better treatment than a regular citizen due to the fact that he is good friends with the police commissioner.