Social Context of the Great Gatsby

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Social context of the great gatsby • There was mobility between social classes • A large gap between the rich and poor • Problem of elitism and arrogance amongst the upper class- they even looked down at the middle class who were mostly comprised of those who put in hard effort for their social position e.g. tom is suspicious of Gatsby simply because he is not in the same class as them, he is immediately suspicious of the way Gatsby earned his large fortune • We see the arrogance in the upper class e.g. the way the rich drive so carelessly • Fitzgerald criticizes this sort of attitude • There is a general lack of morality- e.g. tom cheats on daisy but daisy turns a blind eye, Jordan cheats in golf, and Wolfsheim is rumoured to have a gambling scandal in the world series • There is a new generation of women who want to be independent, after realizing their potential during the war when they took over men’s jobs. Jordan is an example of this. She is a golfing champion even thought she frequently cheats, is flat chested and vivacious • The upper class were throwing frequent parties while the lower classes were struggling for everyday living Historical and cultural context • The roaring twenties was straight after ww1 • Many young men came back from war shellshocked, but we don’t see much of this in the great Gatsby • Massive influx of European immigrants to America “ the American dream” • Lots of criminals at this time, all dealing with prostitution, bootlegging and weapons • The older generations hated the new social order and wanted things to be the way they were Social context of mrs Dalloway • Clarissa is a middle class lady- her husband is a politician • Most of the people in the story are in the middle class e.g. sally seton, Justin parry, peter walsh • The upper class
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