The image of modern American society tries in vain to convey the prevalence of personality over social division. However, the capitalistic structure, where there is a distinct gap between various classes, has fully integrated into the nation’s culture. People, whose social status is higher than the one of average Americans, are always at an advantage of being treated with respect despite their actions. Although modern society promotes the notions of equality and nationwide respect, money is still the currency that can buy others’ attitudes.
Americans’ perception of financial status has been shaped for years by creating the notion of the “American dream,” a desired freedom and success waiting for people on the US land. Even today, when the vast majority of US citizens struggle with financial hardships, the overall image of the nation represents stability and prosperity. Moreover, economic advantage, by default makes people more intelligent and socially pleasing, making the average social class insignificant in the context of social development.
The upper social classes, in their turn, tend to fall into various categories and create their hierarchy. The ones who are already born being surrounded by wealth and welfare will always remain the rising power of the American elite. Although the issue is now almost invisible, the class division was more crucial a century ago. The 1920s, known as “the roaring twenties,” introduced a major change in the national social structure. At that time, the majority of American residents moved to cities, creating greater career and development opportunities for themselves.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, first published in 1925, serves as a symbolic tribute to this period. Nowadays, almost one hundred years later, this work has remained the handbook of nearly any American due to its both historical and cultural context. The Great Gatsby’s main characters represent two major rich classes (Fitzgerald). The first, wealthy elite social class represents rich people who were born and raised in the surroundings opposite to being average. Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan depict the national elite, whose major purpose in life is to enjoy the benefits of being rich. These people will never understand the values of people who have to do minor work for a living. These people, living in a distant universe, have nothing in common with the rest of the world.
Another part of the American elite is represented through Jay Gatsby’s character. Jay Gatsby is an example of a man who worked his way up to the top in order to conquer his place under the sun. The financial opportunities of the man could be considered indefinite, and if the happiness could be bought, Jay Gatsby could have obtained an endless amount of it. However, the true happiness he strived for was the feeling of being accepted by the elite, the feeling of being loved by Daisy. Jay Gatsby reflects the image of what is now called a “self-made” person. However, all the effort put in order to become one step closer to the aforementioned distant universe meant nothing in the end.
Thus, the social division will always remain one of the major human pitfalls on the way to fulfillment. The common belief that money cannot buy happiness is being destroyed by thousands of examples of how material goods determine people’s destiny. The primary issue, however, lies in the fact that even financial status is often not enough to fill the gap between social classes. Hence, however perfect and rich one’s mansion can be, there would always exist an unachievable green light of the distant universe.
Work Cited
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. Planet eBook, 1925. Planet eBook. Web.