THE GREAT GATSBY
By: Elias Hinrichsen
Theme
The Difference of Social Classes
The Great Gatsby talks about three main social classes, the “old money”, “new money” and “no money.” Some members of the “old money” are Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The “new money” mainly had to deal with Jay Gatsby. Members of the “no money” were George and Myrtle Wilson. The “old money” families have money that date backs to the 19th century or before. This just means that former generations in their family history have had money. They have basically always had money in the family. This group of people tend to hide their wealth. The “new money” class made their wealth in the 1920s boom and have no social connections and tend to overcompensate for this lack with lavish displays of wealth. The “no money” class gets overlooked by the struggle at the top, leaving middle and lower class people like George Wilson forgotten about or ignored.
Subject Analysis
I think that the American Dream only exists for certain people. The American Dream used to be viewed as living in a comfortable house with a white picket fence, a couple kids, a pet dog, and a barbecue with friends in the backyard on a warm summer evening. For others this could be creating a very wealthy and successful business. In the history of this country, the American Dream has changed drastically. People have lived under different governments. The American Dream has been the ability to live in a country where they are free to speak about whatever they desire. Every individual human is being offered the opportunity to reach his or her greatest potential. Our society has too many problems for the American Dream to be fulfilled. The rights that we take for granted are often overrun by the government. I think that the American Dream in today’s world is all about getting married, getting a college degree and becoming wealthy. People think today that it is all about money and that is what the American Dream is all about and that money will give you more power. People with more money are able to buy the things that will make them feel like they are living the American Dream. While people with less money or the middle class don’t have enough money to buy the little things to make them happy and fulfill the American Dream.