Segregation in The Great Gatsby Analysis

Novels can often by polysemic which can result in a different interpretation of the novel. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925. It is set in Jazz Age New York and follows the tragic story of Jay Gatsby who is a self-made millionaire as he falls in love with Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young lady. The story is told by the narrator Nick Carraway. Class is a theme used to show the division between people that are of ‘new money’ and ‘old money’ to result in the idea that people of wealth are more superior compared to the poorer classes in society. The dominant role that the men held of the women in society is also evident and this results in the interpretation that throughout the novel, the men play a more important role. And lastly, when focusing on the segregation of races within the novel, as the reader we can see how the white race was viewed and made out to be the most superior race. In the Great Gatsby, by reading the novel through a class, gender, and race lens, the reader is able to interpret the novel in different ways. This theme we will research in the essay “Segregation in The Great Gatsby Analysis”.

In the Great Gatsby, the division of class is evident in many aspects of the novel, and it is used to show the separation between the different levels of wealth within the society. The segregation between those from ‘old money’, meaning those who have a history of wealth running in their family that has been passed down, and the ‘new money’, meaning those who have created their own wealth, is symbolized through different areas within Nick’s home. To begin with, when Gatsby and Daisy finally meet there, Fitzgerald emphasizes the division between the pair through Gatsby’s awkward stance. “…his hands in his pockets… reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease leaned back so far”, that his head rested “on the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock”. Associating Gatsby with a broken clock and positioning him in an unofficial pose, Fitzgerald highlights how unwarranted he is in the world of Daisy. While Daisy upholds an air of grace and serenity despite the uneasiness she is experiencing, Gatsby also stumbles and struggles to maintain the appropriate poise. Daisy was seated “frightened but graceful on the edge of a stiff chair.” Therefore, this underlines the idea already recognized that both of the characters are from opposite worlds and will never be equal. The division of class is also evident through Tom’s disrespect towards Gatsby as he feels superior over him as Tom is from ‘old money’ while Gatsby is from ‘new money’. Tom is in disbelief that Daisy knows Gatsby as she is from a more superior class than him. He is “damned to see that he got within a mile of her”. This suggests that because of the social ranking, Tom believes that is no way should they be anywhere near each other, again reinforcing the idea of the division of class. Tom also constantly calls Gatsby names that have a negative light on him such as “a common swindler” and “bootlegger”. In summary, when reading the Great Gatsby through the division of classes, it is evident how people are treated based on their wealth.

Additionally, the division between genders and the different roles they played in society is evident throughout the Great Gatsby. The role of women during the time period the Great Gatsby is set, which is the 1920s, as expressed by Daisy, the only strength women had in society was to look beautiful and be married off to a richer man, she said “That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful fool”. Women were also seen as just being objects and possessions of men. Daisy’s worth increased in Gatsby’s eyes when it became obvious that many other men were fond of her, so she then became a prize to be won, other than being seen as an actual person, “It excited him too that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes”. Furthermore, the way in which Tom Buchanan dominates his wife, Daisy, and Myrtle, shows that women were treated just as possessions in men’s eyes. Men were allowed to discipline their women as they saw fit if they did something wrong in their eyes. This is evident when “Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand”. How both genders were also characterized is evident in the roles they played in society. Tom was represented as the stereotypical figure; a modern prototype of the ancient patriarch presiding over his family and property. At the time, males were supposed to be the alphas in society and the dominant figure in relationships who exerted power and control over bother women and their families. Women were meant to be obedient to their husbands and even though the flapper was meant to represent the liberated woman which is what Daisy was, she is still extremely subservient and submissive to Tom. In summary, when reading the Great Gatsby through a gender stereotypical lens, the power that men hold over women is significantly represented throughout the text.

Moreover, the race is a clear aspect throughout the Great Gatsby which results in the reader interpreting the novel through the division of races. Throughout the novel, Tom is the most evident displace of racism through his comments that are blatantly racist. He also frequently suggests that the white race is the more superior race. For example, he throws comments out such as “if we don’t look out the white race will be utterly submerged” and “it’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things”. Through these examples, we can clearly see how he wants his society to be segregated as he believes the white race should hold more power and authority. However, another less obvious demonstration of racism within the novel is through the narrator Nick Carraway. As even though he values not judging people, he is still shocked by the sight of black people being chauffeured by a white driver. This insinuates common ideologies during the time period of the 1920s that the white race was superior to the black race. He states, “A limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes”. Although this is not an outright representation of racism as compared to that of Tom Buchanan, it still plays a part in representing the perceptions of race and skin color during that period of time and how these defined a person’s status and place in society. In conclusion, throughout the novel, the idea that the white race is the race in which holds the most power is a reoccurring theme which results in the reader believing that the color of a character’s skin can determine their importance within society.

Evidently, throughout the Great Gatsby, different reading practices can be seen to result in different interpretations of the novel. Class is a theme used to show the division between people that are of ‘new money’ and ‘old money’ to result in the idea that people of wealth are more superior compared to the poorer classes in society. The dominant role that the men held of the women in society is also evident and this results in the interpretation that throughout the novel, the men play a more important role. And lastly, when focusing on the segregation of races within the novel, as the reader we can see how the white race was viewed and made out to be the most superior race.