Fitzgerald Presents the Negative Influence of Class on Romantic Relationships in ‘the Great Gatsby.’ Discuss This Opinion and Consider How Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ Illuminates Your Understanding of the Core Text. Essay Example
Fitzgerald presents the negative influence of class on romantic relationships in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Discuss this opinion and consider how Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ illuminates your understanding of the core text. In ‘The Great Gatsby’ love and relationships are the main themes, with Fitzgerald emphasising the differences in class between Gatsby and Daisy and how their different backgrounds strains their relationship until it is destroyed. Critics such as Michelle McLean agree that ‘the characters face problems that stem from money and their place in society. Daisy is not free to love Gatsby, even once he gains money, because of his social status.’ Charlotte Brontë also presents how differences in social class have a negative influence on relationships in ‘Jane Eyre,’ yet unlike Fitzgerald’s the novel has a happy ending where love transcends class differences.
Fitzgerald presents different social classes through his characters and their attitude towards money. Tom and Daisy Buchanan are a part of the respected upper class and are an example of the 1920’s Lost Generation whose lavish lifestyles epitomise the hedonism of the Jazz Age. The East Egg is a symbol of people like Tom and Daisy who come from old, wealthy families who have inherited their money. However, it is obvious that their marriage is artificial and both are unhappily married. Their baby is a symbol of how superficial their marriage is; their child is briefly mentioned in conversation ‘You ought to see the baby,’ and soon forgotten about. Fitzgerald leaves the baby unnamed to make it seem impersonal and not real which mirrors Tom and Daisy’s marriage. The reader suspects that Daisy does not truly love Tom as Fitzgerald uses Jordan Baker’s dialogue with Nick to describe Daisy being ‘as drunk as a monkey’ and having doubts the night before their wedding: ‘Tell ‘em all Daisy’s change’ her mine.’
Another factor to suggest that their marriage is negatively affected by social class is Tom’s
Fitzgerald presents different social classes through his characters and their attitude towards money. Tom and Daisy Buchanan are a part of the respected upper class and are an example of the 1920’s Lost Generation whose lavish lifestyles epitomise the hedonism of the Jazz Age. The East Egg is a symbol of people like Tom and Daisy who come from old, wealthy families who have inherited their money. However, it is obvious that their marriage is artificial and both are unhappily married. Their baby is a symbol of how superficial their marriage is; their child is briefly mentioned in conversation ‘You ought to see the baby,’ and soon forgotten about. Fitzgerald leaves the baby unnamed to make it seem impersonal and not real which mirrors Tom and Daisy’s marriage. The reader suspects that Daisy does not truly love Tom as Fitzgerald uses Jordan Baker’s dialogue with Nick to describe Daisy being ‘as drunk as a monkey’ and having doubts the night before their wedding: ‘Tell ‘em all Daisy’s change’ her mine.’
Another factor to suggest that their marriage is negatively affected by social class is Tom’s