Status In The Great Gatsby Essay

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fizgerald, status plays a major role for Gatsby as it paints a social barrier between him and the East eggers and highlights his ambition to climb the hierarchy of societal status to try to obtain Daisy. The societies of East and West Egg are deeply divided by the difference between the “nouveau riche” and the older moneyed families. Gatsby is aware of the existence of a class structure in America, because a true meritocracy would put him in touch with some of the finest people, but, as things stand, he is held at arm's length. For the "old money" people, the fact that Gatsby has only just recently acquired his money is enough reason to dislike him. In their way of thinking, he can't possibly have the
same refinement, sensibility, and taste they have. Not only does he work for a living, but he comes from a descent of low-class background which, in their opinion, means he cannot possibly be like them. The citizens of East Egg are judgmental and superficial, failing to look at the essence of the people around them (and themselves, too).
Instead, they live their lives in such a way as to perpetuate their sense of superiority — however unrealistic that may be. Yet, Gatsby is totally blinded by this perception and tries desperately to fake his status, even buying “British shirts” and claiming to have attended Oxford in an attempt to justify his position in society. Gatsby is influenced by the eastern society and thrives to obtain their status by throwing lavish parties in which he uses his “Rolls-Royce as an omnibus” to attract individuals from all over Long Island; the “newly rich” but also those of antediluvian wealth. His display of his excessive amount of money is an attempt to pave a bridge to be accepted by those who have an aristocratic pedigree and in order to acquire Daisy to pronounce her love for him. However, Gatsby fails to recognize that no amount of new money can be used to buy an entry into the exclusive, “a rather distinguished secret society”, upper class. Despite Gatsby’s effortful and relentless attempts to break into the next level of the hierarchy, he is always shunned away and this begs to differ if the American Dream is just an illusionary
conception. The dream which began with the “original settlers” promised to provide a land in which everyone would be successful and equal. It states that if people prepare to work hard, they can achieve financial success. Gatsby sees this American Dream in the green light of Daisy’s dock and thinks that wealth is the key to rekindle Daisy’s affection towards him for eternity. Unfortunately, it is once again the class gulf that separates Gatsby and Daisy, and cements the latter in her relationship to her husband, who is from the same class as she is. Gatsby’s aspirations and adamant mind to rise from rags to riches, to accumulate such things as love, high status wealth, and power cause him to be frantically treading in water throughout the whole novel until it ultimately leads to his demise.