The Great Gatsby Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Erik Rhodes
Mr. Clyne
Period 2
3/20/13
Great Gatsby Rhetorical Analysis:
Social Classes of the 1920s The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of a Golden Age book. Even though it was not written in what one considered the Golden Age, it is a book that represents the extravagance in life. The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism that represents what some might refer to as the cast system (a.k.a. – social structure). F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby to highlight the wide abyss between the wealthy, middle, and poor classes of citizens in America during the 1920s.
In The Great Gatsby there is a wide range of social and economic classes ranging from wealthy to poor and everything in between. Examples of wealth include Gatsby himself, …show more content…
They own a small gas station and general store in the middle of the Valley of Ashes. They represent a lower status of citizens but do not quite live an unprosperous life. They have relations with upper class citizens but are not directly part of them. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson which is an example of a relation between the wealthy and lower class. Myrtle, being a representation of the lower class, seems to be gullible and more vulnerable to Tom’s tricks, and Tom carelessly takes advantage of her vulnerability in my opinion. The lower class is more cut off from the other two therefore they are more gullible. Perhaps their naiveness and gullibility is also related to the lack of education compared to the privilege of the middle and wealthy classes attending colleges like Oxford during this time. They seem to be stuck in somewhat of a valley of …show more content…
The Valley of Ashes, in my view, is the screen that separates East Egg and West Egg of the city. In other words, it is the filter that is in between the wealthy and the poor classes of society. I think Fitzgerald uses the name “The Valley of Ashes” to make it sound like a dark, dreary, and boring place that is hard to be in. It is the area one must go through to get from East Egg to West Egg. Having the Wilson’s live in this area could also represent their relationship with the wealthy even though they are not wealthy themselves. This relationship shows the reader that George and Myrtle Wilson are kind of stuck in the filter. If they go more towards the wealthy side, Myrtle risks being too close to Tom, and if they go more towards the poor side, Myrtle would be too far away from Tom. They are at a perfect place that is George gets the business from the travelers and Myrtle, well, gets Tom or is it the other way
Mr. Clyne
Period 2
3/20/13
Great Gatsby Rhetorical Analysis:
Social Classes of the 1920s The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of a Golden Age book. Even though it was not written in what one considered the Golden Age, it is a book that represents the extravagance in life. The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism that represents what some might refer to as the cast system (a.k.a. – social structure). F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby to highlight the wide abyss between the wealthy, middle, and poor classes of citizens in America during the 1920s.
In The Great Gatsby there is a wide range of social and economic classes ranging from wealthy to poor and everything in between. Examples of wealth include Gatsby himself, …show more content…
They own a small gas station and general store in the middle of the Valley of Ashes. They represent a lower status of citizens but do not quite live an unprosperous life. They have relations with upper class citizens but are not directly part of them. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson which is an example of a relation between the wealthy and lower class. Myrtle, being a representation of the lower class, seems to be gullible and more vulnerable to Tom’s tricks, and Tom carelessly takes advantage of her vulnerability in my opinion. The lower class is more cut off from the other two therefore they are more gullible. Perhaps their naiveness and gullibility is also related to the lack of education compared to the privilege of the middle and wealthy classes attending colleges like Oxford during this time. They seem to be stuck in somewhat of a valley of …show more content…
The Valley of Ashes, in my view, is the screen that separates East Egg and West Egg of the city. In other words, it is the filter that is in between the wealthy and the poor classes of society. I think Fitzgerald uses the name “The Valley of Ashes” to make it sound like a dark, dreary, and boring place that is hard to be in. It is the area one must go through to get from East Egg to West Egg. Having the Wilson’s live in this area could also represent their relationship with the wealthy even though they are not wealthy themselves. This relationship shows the reader that George and Myrtle Wilson are kind of stuck in the filter. If they go more towards the wealthy side, Myrtle risks being too close to Tom, and if they go more towards the poor side, Myrtle would be too far away from Tom. They are at a perfect place that is George gets the business from the travelers and Myrtle, well, gets Tom or is it the other way