The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1704 Words

Class structure of the 1920s was based on popularity and how well off people were compared to those around them. F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates class structure in the book The Great Gatsby through the different characters in different social classes. Fitzgerald gives settings that correspond with the social classes of the characters to better illustrate what environment he placed each character in. The Buchanan’s, Gatsby, and the Wilsons are examples of the different conflicting social classes Fitzgerald lays out for his readers. Rosanne Tomyn in the article, Changes in Social Class in America in the 1920s, States â€Å"the United States went through a period of extreme social change,† implying that America started to divide into three levels†¦show more content†¦Ian Reifowitz in the article, How roaring were the 20s, explains details about the book The Great Gatsby to prove the point that the â€Å"middle-class and working-class life improved during the 1920 s.† Nick Carraway, for example, lives on the outskirts of West egg which enables him to live among the wealthy without getting attached to that lifestyle. Nick Carraway, towards the end of the novel however, gets attached to the wealthy lifestyle of Gatsby and begins to enjoy it although he may begin to enjoy this lifestyle he plans to head west to get away and avoid holding onto the past. The poor also have a dominant role in the novel depicting how people were in the 1920s. The poor in the 1920s lived in horrible environments such as in the book it describes the valley of ashes as being â€Å"a farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses,† (Fitzgerald, Page 16) The valley of ashes indicates that the poor worked hard in factories day in and day out and that the factories were close to their home covering them in soot along with anything else around them. Brian Payne in the article, Poverty in the pro sperous years: The working poor of the 1920s and today, states that â€Å"In modern American history, economic upswings have never evenShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. 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